Upper extremity vascular injury: a current in-theater wartime report from Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Past wartime experience and recent civilian reports indicate upper extremity (UE) vascular injury occurs less often and with less limb loss than lower extremity (LE) injury. Given advances in critical care, damage control techniques, and military armor technology, the objective of this evaluation was to define contemporary patterns of UE injury and effectiveness of vascular surgical management in UE vascular injury during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). From 1 September 2004 through 31 August 2005, 2,473 combat-related injuries were treated at the central echelon III surgical facility in Iraq.

The application of split-thickness skin graft as an autogenous arterial conduit in a goat (Capra hircus) model.

Adequate autogenous vein is often the limiting factor in achieving a successful infrainguinal bypass. Attempts have been made to find alternative conduits; however, these alternatives have demonstrated inferior patency rates. We attempt to show that a split-thickness skin graft conduit provides a feasible autogenous arterial conduit.