SPLIT THICKNESS SKIN GRAFTS FROM RATS: A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE

By HAGGAI TSUR, M.D.’ Department of Plastic Surgery, The Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel

CUTTING split thickness skin grafts in living rats is diflicult; the skeletal structures of the trunk are not firm enough to provide adequate support for the very loose skin. Woodruff and Simpson (1955) used a small Padgett dermatome. The skin must be clipped and shaved, and then painted with an adhesive, a process which is time con- suming. Corps (1969) using the Castroviejo electro-dermatome was unable to obtain satisfactory grafts from the intact rat. His donor animals were sacrificed and skinned, and the grafts cut from the shaved pelt pinned out on a board.

Gustavson (1974) reported a simplified method of taking split thickness skin grafts in small experimental animals; a metal plate was inserted into a pocket beneath the donor area to provide a flat, unyielding surface on which he used a Humby knife. This technique, however, interferes with the blood supply of the donor site.

I report here a simple, rapid technique which requires little instrumentation and allows split thickness skin grafts to be cut from the intact rat. The technique takes

1 Present address: Plastic Surgery Department, Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, 3353 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, New York 10467.

FIG. I. A, Anterior view of the wooden bar attached to an ordinary table. B, Reverse side of the bar with the metal hooks.

29/4--E 341

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PLASTIC SURGERY

FIG. 2. Formation of a skin fold by tension on silk sutures.

FIG. 3. A flat even surface results from draping the trunk skin over the bar.

FIG. 4. Cutting a split thickness skin graft with a Goulian knife.

advantage of the highly mobile skin on the back of the rat which slides easily over the skeletal muscles and is capable of being formed into large skin folds.

A wooden beam, 2.5 x 8 cm (I x 3 in.) in cross-section is attached vertically with a few screws to the side of a table (Fig. I). A row of 2/o silk sutures is placed in the middle of the back of the anaesthetised animal at 1.5 cm intervals. Tension on the threads creates a skin fold (Fig. 2) which is laid over the upper flat surface of the bar. Tension of the skin is adjusted by anchoring the stay sutures to the metal hooks as shown (Fig. 3). A smooth, firm surface is thus created, ideal for cutting a split thickness

SPLIT THICKNESS SKIN GRAFTS FROM RATS 343

skin graft with any type of skin grafting knife; I have found the Goulian knife to be ideal for the purpose (Fig. 4).

The method is equally applicable to other small experimental loose skinned animals such as the mouse, guinea-pig or rabbit.

REFERENCES

CORPS, B. V. M. (1969). The effect of graft thickness, donor site and graft bed on graft shrinkage in the hooded rat. British Journal of Plastic Surgery, 22, 125.

GUSTAVSON, E. G. (1974). A simple aid to taking split thickness skin grafts in small experi- mental animals. British Journal of Plastic Surgery, 27, 165.

WOODRUFF, M. F. A. and SIMPSON, L. D. (1955). Experimental skin grafting in rats. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, IS, 451.