Histological studies of intermingled transplantation of autografts and allografts in rabbits

Experimentally induced skin wounds in adult rabbits were covered with intermingled transplantation of autografts and allografts and histological studies were made during the healing process of the wound. The specimens were obtained from the junction between autografts and allografts and midway between the autografts at an interval of 3 days over a period from 6 to 40 days after the transplantation. Examination of the histological specimens showed rejection of the superficial allografts at the beginning of the second week following transplantation. The autoepithelium rapidly grew into the split thus created in the allograft. At about 3 weeks this process was complete with the presence of a flat epithelium covering the entire wound surface.