Microsurgical flap models in the rat.

Microsurgical flaps have been widely used in clinical reconstructive surgery. Although these procedures have achieved great clinical success, utilization of microsurgical flap techniques have also led to a number of basic questions that researchers must now attempt to answer. The rat has been the source of many flap models in these investigations. This article provides a condensed description of the procedures, anatomic data, and research applications for skin, muscle, myocutaneous, bone, osteomuscular, and osteomyocutaneous microsurgical flap models in the rat.