A peri-implant capsule flap.

Spherical expanders (30 ml) were implanted under the skin vascularised by the left inferior epigastric pedicle in rats. When expansion was complete, the expander was removed and the animals divided into three groups of 15. In the first group, the floor of the capsule was simply everted. In the second group, a capsule island flap was raised; in the third group, a capsule free flap was raised, transferred to the heterolateral vessels by microanastomosis; the inner side of the various capsule flaps was covered with autologous skin graft. In the three experimental groups, there was complete "take" of the skin grafts in 80% of the animals. Pedicle or free flaps of capsular tissue may be raised and transferred safely in rats.