ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: We studied short-term effects of steroid and anti-inflammatory drugs on collagen synthesis in rat skin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 18 rats were divided equally into three groups: group I; piroxicam, group II; triamcinolone, group III; saline. All drugs were given by intraperitoneal injection. Drugs were administered to rats for 4 days after dorsal skin incision. One day after operation and at 24 hour interval there after, skin tissues containing subcutaneous fat were randomly harvested. Measurement procedures were composed of three steps: the first was Masson's trichrome stain for collagen tissue identification; the second involved transporting the image to a computer and the third the analyses of the collagen area using a morphometry program. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in the mean values of the relative collagen contents of the triamcinolone and saline injection groups on the third day (p<0.05). Relative collagen content of the saline injection group was greater than those of the other groups. The triamcinolone group showed the least collagen content. Collagen content of groups increased in time. CONCLUSION: Steroid had an inhibitory effect on the synthesis of collagen. Anti-inflammatory drugs also reduced the amount of collagen synthesis, but without statistical difference.
Subject(s)
Animals , Rats , Collagen , Injections, Intraperitoneal , Piroxicam , Skin , Subcutaneous Fat , Triamcinolone , Wound Healing , Wounds and InjuriesABSTRACT
Since the first report by Tansini in 1896, the latissimus dorsi muscle free flap has been widely used for various types of soft tissue defect due to reliable anatomy with a sufficient diameter of neurovascular pedicle and a sizable muscle. However, for relatively small soft tissue defect, latissimus dorsi free flap offers several distinct disadvantages of donor site including loss of the posterior axillary fold and flattening of the posterolateral chest wall, weakness of upper arm strength in extension, adduction and internal rotation. We treated three patients having various types of soft tissue defect using segmental latissimus dorsi muscular free flap depending on its descending branch of thoracodorsal neurovascular pedicles. There were no serious complications during 18 months of mean follow-up. We concluded that this method has some advantages such as no weakness of strength of the upper arm including walking on crutches, preserving the posterior axillary fold, preventing winging of the scapula and increased chance of using a flow-through technique. Here we present our cases of reconstruction of soft tissue defect using segmental latissimus dorsi free flap with a review of the literature.