A Novel Perforator Flap Training Model Using a Chicken Leg

• Published in: Journal of hand and microsurgery Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 17 - 20
• Main Authors: Cifuentes, Ignacio J, Yañez, Ricardo A, Salisbury, Maria C, Rodriguez, José R, Varas, Julian E, Dagnino, Bruno L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society of Indian Hand & Microsurgeons 01-04-2016
• Subjects: Original; perforator flap; chicken; training; microsurgery
• ISSN: 0974-3227; 0974-6897
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1581124

Living animal models are frequently used for perforator flap dissection training, but no ex vivo models have been described. The aim of this study is to present a novel nonliving model for perforator flap training based on a constant perforator in the chicken leg.
A total of 15 chicken legs were used in this study. Anatomical dissection of the perforator was performed after its identification using ink injection, and in four of these specimens a perforator-based flap was raised.
The anatomical dissection revealed a constant intramuscular perforator with a median length of 5.7 cm. Median proximal and distal vessel diameters were 0.93 and 0.4 mm, respectively. The median dissection time was 77.5 minutes.
This study introduces a novel, affordable, and reproducible model for the intramuscular dissection of a perforator-based flap using an ex vivo animal model. Its consistent perforator and appropriate-sized vessels make it useful for training.