OBJECTIVETo design an animal model to study the facial transplantation of allografts in rabbits.

METHODSLivid blue rabbits and New Zealand white rabbits was applied as experiment animal, to harvest hemifacial composite-tissue flap based in the common external carotid artery with the branch of the external mandibular artery and auricularis magna artery, then allotransplantation was performed with the livid blue rabbits as recipient while new Zealand rabbits as donor, the immunosuppressive agent comprised ciclosporin, azamun and prednisone. 25 couples of rabbits were divided three groups. Group A, 5 couples of rabbits, no administered immunosuppressive agent and the artery anastomosis with end-to-end. Group B, 10 couples of rabbits, administered immunosuppressive agent and the artery anastomosis with end-to-end. Group C, 10 couples of rabbits, administered immunosuppressive agent and the artery anastomosis with end-to-side. Postoperative, to observe the survive ratio of animal and composite-tissue flap, verified the practicability of model further.

RESULTSThe blood supply of hemifacial composite-tissue flap is rich after allotransplantation. The survive ratio wasn't different with different procedure of the external carotid artery anastomosis.

CONCLUSIONSThis is a successful model of composite face flap transplantation in the rabbits.