Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (6): 1230-1238.doi: 10.12307/2025.298

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Pathogenesis and treatment progress of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury 

He Bo1, Chen Wen2, Ma Suilu3, He Zhijun2, Song Yuan2, Li Jinpeng2, Liu Tao2, Wei Xiaotao4, Wang Weiwei4, Xie Jing4     

  1. 1Nanyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanyang 473007, Henan Province, China; 2Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu Province, China; 3Xi’an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi’an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China; 4Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu Province, China 
  • Received:2024-01-26 Accepted:2024-03-13 Online:2025-02-28 Published:2024-06-22
  • Contact: Chen Wen, Master, Attending physician, Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu Province, China Co-corresponding author: Ma Suilu, Master, Xi’an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi’an 710000, Shaanxi Province, China
  • About author:He Bo, Master, Nanyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanyang 473007, Henan Province, China
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Nos. 81660802 (to HZJ) and 81660803 (to SY); Gansu Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Project, No. GZKZ-2020-2 (to HZJ) 

Abstract:
BACKGROUND:
Flap transplantation technique is a commonly used surgical procedure for the treatment of severe tissue defects, but postoperative flap necrosis is easily triggered by ischemia-reperfusion injury. Therefore, it is still an important research topic to improve the survival rate of transplanted flaps.
OBJECTIVE: To review the pathogenesis and latest treatment progress of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury.
METHODS: CNKI, WanFang Database and PubMed database were searched for relevant literature published from 2014 to 2024. The search terms used were “flap, ischemia-reperfusion injury, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, Ca2+ overload, apoptosis, mesenchymal stem cells, platelet-rich plasma, signaling pathways, shock wave, pretreatment” in Chinese and English. After elimination of irrelevant literature, poor quality and obsolete literature, 77 documents were finally included for review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Flap ischemia/reperfusion injury may be related to pathological factors such as inflammatory response, oxidative stress response, Ca2+ overload, and apoptosis, which can cause apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells, vascular damage and microcirculation disorders in the flap, and eventually lead to flap necrosis. Studies have found that mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, platelet-rich plasma, signaling pathway modulators, shock waves, and pretreatment can alleviate flap ischemia/reperfusion injuries from different aspects and to varying degrees, and reduce the necrosis rate and necrosis area of the grafted flap. Although there are many therapeutic methods for skin flap ischemia/reperfusion injury, a unified and effective therapeutic method has not yet been developed in the clinic, and the advantages and disadvantages of various therapeutic methods have not yet been compared. Most of the studies remain in the stage of animal experiments, rarely involving clinical observations. Therefore, a lot of research is required in the future to gradually move from animal experiments to the clinic in order to better serve the clinic.

Key words: flap, ischemia-reperfusion injury, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, Ca2+ overload, apoptosis, mesenchymal stem cell, platelet-rich plasma, signaling pathway, shock wave, pretreatment

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