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The Effect of Tension on Patency of Rat Femoral Artery Anastomoses
Michael E. Decherd, MD;
Karen H. Calhoun, MD
Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2003;5:83-85.
Objective To determine experimentally the role of tension in the failure of microarterial anastomoses.
Methods Sixteen microarterial anastomoses were performed in femoral arteries from adult Sprague-Dawley male rats after resecting 0, 1, 2, or 3 mm. The percentage of vessel excised was calculated. The vessel was then examined in approximately 1 week for patency. Next, 5 femoral arteries were excised and length-tension curves generated.
Results All vessels were patent in which less than 20% of the length was resected. Clinically, only vessels under extreme tension failed. Length-tension curves suggested 2 zones of vessel extensibility with a breakpoint between them. Extension of the vessel beyond this breakpoint required extreme tension.
Conclusions Moderate tension at a microarterial anastomosis does not lead to anastomotic failure. Failure occurs after the elastic reserve of the vessel is exceeded.
From the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
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