The anatomy and histology of the cranially based dorsal musculocutaneous flap of the rat.

The cranially based dorsal musculocutaneous flap of the rat is commonly used to study the effects of various pharmacological compounds of flap survival. In the present study the anatomy and histology of the flap are described. It is shown that the central vessel of the flap is a vein and that this vein can be used for injection of substances into the capillary network of the flap. The sensory innervation of the flap is studied using indirect immunohistochemical technique.