| Table 6-8 Stages of Skin Graft Survival |
| | Stages | | Description |
| 1. Imbibition | | First 24–48 h (ischemic period)
Graft sustained by plasma exudate from wound bed
Fibrin attaches graft to new bed
Graft becomes edematous, ↑ weight by up to 40% |
| 2. Inosculation | | Begins 48–72 h, lasts up to 7–10 days
(graft vessels anastomose)
Revascularization linking dermal vessels in graft to recipient bed
Rationale for delayed grafting over sites devoid of perichondrium or periosteum
(allows formation of granulation tissue with ↑ survival rate) |
| 3. Neovascularization | | Occurs temporally with inosculation
Capillary ingrowth from recipient wound base and sidewalls to graft
If optimal conditions, full circulation reestablished within 4–7 days |
| 4. Maturation | | Occurs months later
Reinnervation of graft typically within 2 months of graft but may not be complete for months to years
(full sensation may never fully return) |
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