Background: Distal necrosis remains a common limitation of random-pattern skin flaps due to progressive decline in perfusion and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a growth factor-enriched biologic that has shown promise in flap models, although preparation and composition vary. This study evaluated the effects of heterologous leukocyte-rich PRP (L-PRP) on random-pattern dorsal skin flap viability in rats. Materials and methods: Sixteen female Wistar rats underwent elevation of a cranially based random-pattern dorsal skin flap (8 × 2 cm) with placement of a cellulose barrier to impede revascularization from the wound bed. Animals were assigned to two groups (n = 8 per group): control (flap elevation only) and local heterologous PRP. Flaps were monitored daily, and animals were euthanized on postoperative day 8. Distal flap tissue was harvested, fixed in 10% formalin, processed, and evaluated by H the necrosis category depended significantly on group (χ2 = 24.924, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Local heterologous L-PRP improved distal flap viability under the tested conditions and produced the lowest necrosis values compared to the control group. The absence of overt adverse reactions supports the feasibility of heterologous L-PRP in this setting.
Basagiannis et al. (Mon,) studied this question.