The Effect of Topical Minoxidil Pretreatment on Nonsurgical Delay of Rat Cutaneous Flaps: Further Studies
June 2013
in “
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
”
TLDR Minoxidil improved rat skin flap survival but was less effective than surgical methods.
In a 2013 study, researchers found that pretreatment with topical minoxidil improved the survival of rat cutaneous flaps. The study included 24 male Wistar rats divided into three groups: a control group, a group treated with topical minoxidil for 7 days, and a group that underwent a surgical delay procedure. The survival rates of the skin flaps were 59.8 ± 3.56% for the control group, 70.2 ± 2.8% for the minoxidil-treated group, and 75.5 ± 3.9% for the surgically delayed group. Minoxidil was effective in stimulating angiogenesis and increasing flap survival, but it was less effective than surgical delay. The study suggested that while minoxidil has potential as a pharmacological agent for flap delay, further research is needed to optimize its clinical application.