An "off the shelf" vascular allograft supports angiogenic growth in three-dimensional tissue engineering.

Objectives: Dense angiogenic sprouting occurs from arteriovenous loops (AVLs) incorporating autologous vein grafts inserted into empty plastic chambers in vivo. The purpose of this study was to determine if angiogenesis from the AVL was limited by substituting an "off the shelf" cold-stored allograft vein instead of an autologous vein.

Methods: Four Sprague Dawley rat groups (two AVL configurations × two chamber types) were established for both 2-week and 6-week harvest.

Laser Doppler perfusion imaging of the radial forearm flap: a clinical study.

Laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI) allows non-invasive assessment of blood flow in a predefined area of skin rather than at one single point. We have used LDPI to study the pattern of skin blood flow in the radial forearm flap before and after the flap has been raised. The data were collected from a consecutive series of 11 patients with cancer of the oral cavity or oropharynx in whom the radial forearm flap had been used during the reconstructive procedure.