Clinical application of the retrograde arterialized venous flap.

Retrograde arterialized venous flaps were applied to skin and soft-tissue defects in 13 patients with an average age of 34.4 years. Ten defects were located on the hand, and three on the lower leg.

Retrograde arterialized venous flap: an experimental study.

An experimental model was established to study circulation in retrograde arterialized venous flaps (RAVF). Venous flaps measuring 7 x 4 cm with a matching venous system were harvested from both forearms of 10 fresh human cadavers. In each trial, both flaps were simultaneously perfused with heparinized human blood driven by a pulsatile circulation model.