V. Transplantation of Nonpedunculated Flaps or Skin-grafting
Where there is loss of skin due to injury or operative procedure the parts may heal by granulation, but as this requires much time, and the consequent cicatrice causes considerable deformity, the granulating or freshly made wounds are covered with so-called detached skin flaps or grafts, when the former methods of plastic surgery cannot be followed.
The methods employed in skin-grafting may be classified as: 1, autodermic; 2, heterodermic; 3, zoödermic.
1. Autodermic, when the grafts are taken from the tissue of the patient.
2. Heterodermic, when the grafts for the patient are taken from other persons.
3. Zoödermic, when the grafts for the patient are taken from the lower species.
The former two classes may for convenience be again subdivided into
1. (a) Auto-epidermic.
(b) Autodermic.
2. (c) Hetero-epidermic.