Effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 on random pattern skin flap survival in rats

ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of pharmacological delay with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on skin flap survival. METHODS: Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were submitted to dorsal skin flap (3x9 cm). Seven days before the surgery, the animals were subdivided into three groups of 10 rats. In group 1 (controls), no injection was done. Seven days before the elevation, saline had been injected to the marked skin flap area in group 2 (sham group), and group 3 (experimental group) underwent a pharmacological delay with subcutaneous IGF-1 injections. On the seventh postoperative day...