Laser doppler flowmetry and infrared thermography in the prediction of skin flap viability in rat models.

The authors used 2 instruments, a Laser Doppler flowmeter [LDF] and Infrared thermographs, to evaluate their reliability to predict skin flap viability in rats, We made a pedicle flap on 7 Spraque-Dawley rats. At each 1 cm of the flap, we measured the blood flow by LDF and measured the surface temperature by infrared thermographs. The results showed that the LDF value had the typical pattern and were well correlated with flap necrosis. LDF can be used to predict flap viability, while skin temperature recorded by infrared thermographs could not be used to predict flap viability.