Abstract
Skin transplantations on smaller laboratory animals are usually unsuccessful due to difficulties of bandaging and immobilization. As a preliminary to certain immunity studies an operation has been devised to avoid these difficulties, the animals'own tissues being used as a means of immobilization and surgical dressing.
On guinea-pigs, for example, an incision is made in the mid-dorsal line and the skin and superficial muscles resected. The skin graft is placed in the sub-muscular pocket thus formed and fastened to the periostium of the ribs with silk sutures. The resected tissues are drawn up over the graft and the dorsal incision permanently closed.
About a week later, the superficial tissues are resected over the graft, and the edges of the resection wound sewed to the graft with silk sutures. The exposed graft is protected for a week or two with a light dressing of silver foil and cotton.
The results of the operation are good, so far as the initial union of tissues is concerned.
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