Noninfectious inflammatory dermatosis

STUDENT NAME: Afif Ahmad AlBaalbaki

STUDENT ID NUMBER: 30190022

COURSE NAME: Sensorineural and Integumentary Systems

DEPARTMENT: Nursing

COURSE CODE: NURS373

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 15/10/2020

Kindly explain what is a skin graft and what is a skin flap. Determine the
difference between them
The two types of skin grafts are free grafts and skin flaps. Free grafts are further classified
according to the method of providing a blood supply to the grafted skin. One method is to
transfer the graft (epidermis and part or all of the dermis) to the recipient site from the donor site.
If the graft is an autograft (from the patient’s own body) or an isograft (from an identical twin), it
will revascularize and become fixed to the new site. Another method of free skin grafting is by
reconstructive microsurgery. With the use of an operating microscope, circulation is immediately
established in the free flap by anastomosis of the blood vessels from the skin flap to the vessels
in the recipient site.
Skin flaps involve moving a section of skin and subcutaneous tissue from one part of the body to
another without terminating the vascular attachment.19 The vascular attachment is called a
pedicle. Skin flaps are used to cover wounds with a poor vascular bed, to provide padding when
needed, and to cover wounds over cartilage and bone. The patient may need intermediate flap
placement if the recipient site is far removed from the donor site. For instance, a skin flap from
the thigh to the head would require an intermediate graft. The flap is advanced to the recipient
site when circulation is well established at the intermediate site. The type of flap and the route of
transfer are determined according to the patient’s needs and the defect being repaired.