Fig. 2

A schematic representation of the process of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis subsequent to the skin graft transplantation. In the early stages following transplantation, nutrients from the wound bed diffuse along a gradient into the graft via the process of plasmatic imbibition but is limited by the range of diffusion. Around 48 h after the transplantation, the vessels of the host tissue begin to form anastomoses with the vascular buds of the graft during inosculation. The inception of a functional vascular network between the graft and the recipient bed enhances the survivability of the graft. The process of revascularization occurs within 72 h whereby the ingrowth of new vessels from the recipient bed to the graft, accumulation of extracellular matrix and the subsequent maturation of the new vessels augments the stability of the engrafted tissue