Preliminary application of foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap for repairing soft tissue defects in shoulder and back / 中国修复重建外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of a foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap to repair soft tissue defects in the shoulder and back.@*METHODS@#Between August 2018 and January 2023, the foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps were used to repair soft tissue defects in the shoulder and back of 8 patients. There were 5 males and 3 females with the age ranged from 21 to 56 years (mean, 35.4 years). Wounds were located in the shoulder in 2 cases and in the shoulder and back in 6 cases. The causes of injury were chronic infection of skin and bone exposure in 2 cases, secondary wound after extensive resection of skin and soft tissue tumor in 4 cases, and wound formation caused by traffic accident in 2 cases. Skin defect areas ranged from 14 cm×13 cm to 20 cm×16 cm. The disease duration ranged from 12 days to 1 year (median, 6.6 months). A pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was designed and harvested. The flap was divided into A/B flap and then were folded to repair the wound, with the donor area of the flap being pulled and sutured in one stage.@*RESULTS@#All 7 flaps survived, with primary wound healing. One patient suffered from distal flap necrosis and delayed healing was achieved after dressing change. The incisions of all donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6 months to 4 years (mean, 24.7 months). The skin flap has a good appearance with no swelling in the pedicle. At last follow-up, 6 patients had no significant difference in bilateral shoulder joint motion, and 2 patients had a slight decrease in abduction range of motion compared with the healthy side. The patients' daily life were not affected, and linear scar was left in the donor site.@*CONCLUSION@#The foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap is an ideal method to repair the soft tissue defect of shoulder and back with simple operation, less damage to the donor site, and quick recovery after operation.

Application of plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue to repair skin defects in hands and feet / 中国修复重建外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue to repair skin defects in hands and feet.@*METHODS@#Between July 2017 and January 2023, 35 cases of hand and foot defects were repaired with plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue (13 pedicled flaps and 22 free flaps). There were 18 males and 17 females, with an average age of 38.8 years (range, 8-56 years). Thirty cases of defects were caused by trauma, and the interval between injury and admission ranged from 2 to 6 hours (mean, 3.3 hours). Three cases were ulcer wounds with a course of 3.0, 3.8, and 7.0 months, respectively. Two cases were malignant melanoma. Eight cases of wounds located in the fingers, 13 cases in the palm, 12 cases in the heel, and 2 cases in the distal foot. The size of skin defects ranged from 4.0 cm×3.5 cm to 12.0 cm×10.0 cm, and the size of flap ranged from 5.0 cm×4.5 cm to 13.0 cm×11.0 cm. The donor sites were repaired with skin grafts.@*RESULTS@#All flaps were survived and the wounds healed by first intention after operation. The partial necrosis at the edge of the skin graft occurred in 1 case, which healed after dressing change; the other skin grafts survived successfully. All patients were followed up 6-24 months (mean, 18 months). The flaps exhibited similar color and thickness to the surrounding hand and foot skin. Two-point discrimination ranged from 7 to 10 mm in the flaps with an average of 8 mm. The donor sites had no painful scars or sensory abnormalities. Foot and ankle functions were good and gaits were normal.@*CONCLUSION@#Application of plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue to repair skin defects in hands and feet had good flap shape, high survival rate of skin graft at the donor site, and no obvious complications.

Effectiveness of tibial transverse transport combined with modified neurolysis in treatment of diabetic foot ulcers / 中国修复重建外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effectiveness of tibial transverse transport (TTT) combined with modified neurolysis in treatment of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) through a prospective randomized controlled study.@*METHODS@#The patients with DFU and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, who were admitted between February 2020 and February 2022, were selected as the research objects, of which 31 cases met the selection criteria and were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups by random number table method. The 15 patients in the trial group were treated with TTT combined with modified neurolysis, and the 16 patients in the control group received treatment with TTT alone. There was no significant difference in gender, age, duration of DFU, ulcer area, Wagner classification, as well as preoperative foot skin temperature, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, ankle-brachial index (ABI), motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of the common peroneal nerve, MNCV of the tibial nerve, MNCV of the deep peroneal nerve, two-point discrimination (2-PD) of heel, and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the common peroneal nerve between the two groups ( P>0.05). The time for ulcer healing, foot skin temperature, VAS scores, ABI, 2-PD of heel, and CSA of the common peroneal nerve before operation and at 6 and 12 months after operation were recorded and compared between groups. The differences in MNCV of the common peroneal nerve, MNCV of the tibial nerve, and MNCV of the deep peroneal nerve between pre-operation and 12 months after operation were calculated.@*RESULTS@#All patients in both groups were followed up 12-24 months (mean, 13.9 months). The surgical incisions in both groups healed by first intention and no needle tract infections occurred during the bone transport phase. Ulcer wounds in both groups healed successfully, and there was no significant difference in the healing time ( P>0.05). During the follow-up, there was no ulcer recurrences. At 12 months after operation, the MNCV of the common peroneal nerve, the MNCV of the tibial nerve, and the MNCV of the deep peroneal nerve in both groups accelerated when compared to preoperative values ( P<0.05). Furthermore, the trial group exhibited a greater acceleration in MNCV compared to the control group, and the difference was significant ( P<0.05). The foot skin temperature, VAS score, ABI, 2-PD of heel, and CSA of the common peroneal nerve at 6 and 12 months after operation significantly improved when compared with those before operation in both groups ( P<0.05). The 2-PD gradually improved over time, showing significant difference ( P<0.05). The 2-PD of heel and VAS score of the trial group were superior to the control group, and the differences were significant ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in ABI, foot skin temperature, and CSA of the common peroneal nerve between groups after operation ( P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Compared with TTT alone, the TTT combined with modified neurolysis for DFU can simultaneously solve both microcirculatory disorders and nerve compression, improve the quality of nerve function recovery, and enhance the patient's quality of life.

Effect on scar in donor area of small-and medium-sized anterolateral thigh perforator flap harvested from superficial and deep layer of the superficial fascia / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective:To compare the effect on scar in donor area of small-and medium-sized anterolateral thigh perforator flap(ALTPF) harvested from superficial and deep layer of the superficial fascia.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 31 patients who had small-and medium-sized soft tissue defects in the extremities and admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from January 2020 to February 2021. All the patients were repaired with ALTPFs. The sizes of defect ranged from 5.0 cm×3.5 cm to 17.0 cm×6.0 cm, and the flaps sized from 6.0 cm×4.0 cm to 20.0 cm×6.0 cm. Fifteen ALTPFs were harvested from superficial layer of superficial fascia (modified group), and 16 harvested from deep layer of superficial fascia (traditional group). The flap donor sites were sutured directly using the "Zunyi suture method". Appearance of scars was assessed within the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) and in addition the width of scars was been recorded. The data of the 2 groups were statistically analyzed. There was statistically significant difference when P<0.05. Results:All flaps were successfully viable. All wounds healed in Ⅰ stage and donor incisions healed in Ⅰ stage at 2-3 weeks after the surgery. All patients entered postoperative follow-up for 6 to 26 months, with a mean of 10.7 months. There was no ischaemic necrosis at the donor margin. There was no significant difference between circumference of thighs between the modified group and traditional group [ (0.10±0.40) cm and (0.03±0.39) cm, respectively]( P>0.05). VSS were found lower in the modified group (2.00±1.46) than that in the traditional group (3.06±1.61)( t=2.132, P=0.039), as well as the scars were found smaller at the widest point[(6.67±3.85) cm and(16.06±6.63) cm, respectively. t=2.807, P=0.005]. The differences were statistically significant( P<0.05). Conclusion:Small-and medium-sized ALTPFs, harvested in the superficial layer of superficial fascia, can reduce the width of the donor scar, improve the surgical outcome and increase patient satisfaction.

Repair of diabetic foot ulcer wound by anterolateral thigh chimeric perforator flap / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of the anterolateral thigh perforator chimeric flap in the treatment of the wound of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) .Methods:From January, 2018 to December, 2019, 14 cases wound of DFU of type II diabetic were treated by anterolateral thigh chimeric perforator flap. The patients were 10 males and 4 females, at 49 to 58 years old. Of the 14 patients, 10 with simple peripheral neuropathy, 4 with peripheral neuropathy complicated with vascular disease, and none with single vascular disease. With strict control of patients' blood glucose, antibiotics blended bone cement was applied or filled onto grade 2 or higher grade Wagner's DFU after debridement. In addition, the anterolateral thigh chimeric perforator flap was transferred 2 to 3 weeks later. The size of flap was 8 cm×3 cm-27 cm×7 cm. Regular followed-up were made after surgery.Results:Thirteen flaps survived in one stage after surgery. The other 1 flap had venous vascular crisis, and survived completely after active exploration. The patients were followed-up for 6-12 months. All the flaps survived well in good shape and texture. The donor and recipient areas healed well. The functional recoveries of the DF were satisfactory.Conclusion:Application of anterolateral thigh perforator chimeric flap in repair of the refractory wound of DF achieves a good clinical outcome and effectively improves the life quality of patients.

Selection strategy of superficial iliac circumflex artery and lateral circumflex femoral artery perforator flap in wound repair / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To provide clinical guidance for clinical selection, through retrospective analysis for the advantages and disadvantages of superficial iliac circumflex artery and lateral circumflex femoral artery perforator flap in wound repair.@*Methods@#From July 2016 to January 2018, 89 cases were repaired with superficial iliac circumflex artery or lateral femoral circumflex artery perforator flap, including 32 cases of superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap, 18 cases of upper limb, 6 cases of face and neck, and 8 cases of lower extremity. There were 52 cases of lateral circumflex femoral artery perforator flap, 21 cases of upper limb, 2 cases of neck, 3 cases of trunk, 26 cases of lower extremity, 5 cases of superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap combined with lateral femoral circumflex artery perforator flap, 3 cases of upper limb and 2 cases of lower extremity. The perforators of superficial circumflex iliac artery or (and) lateral circumflex femoral artery were detected by portable Doppler flow detector before operation. According to the wound size, the superficial circumflex artery perforator flap or (and) lateral circumflex femoral artery perforator flap was or (were) designed and resected. End-to-end or end-to-side anastomosis was performed in vascular pedicle. In the combined resection group, the end-to-end or end-to-side anastomosis of the perforator of the lateral circumflex thigh artery was performed, and the pedicled part of the superficial circumflex iliac artery was used for supercharging.@*Results@#All the flaps survived successfully except one combined flap had tip necrosis on the superficial iliac circumflex artery perforator flap part. and healed after 2 weeks of dressing change. Venous crisis occurred on the first day after operation of superficial iliac circumflex artery perforator flap in 1 case.10 cases of lateral femoral circumflex artery perforator flap were slightly bloated and 3 cases returned to hospital for secondary thinning. All the flaps were soft in texture, satisfactory in shape and function, and numbed in the small area of the donor region of the perforator flap of lateral femoral circumflex artery in the early stage. All the patients had no severe complications after follow-up.@*Conclusions@#The perforator flap of superficial iliac circumflex artery and lateral femoral circumflex artery are ideal donor areas for wound repair. The perforator flap of superficial iliac circumflex artery is preferred for small area wound, hand wound and small bone defect. Lateral circumflex femoral perforator flap is suitable for all trunk and limbs with large or complex wounds.

Repair soft tissue defects of extremities with the perforator flap based on the first perforating artery of Profunda artery / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the feasibility of repairing soft tissue defects of extremities with the perforator flap based on the first perforating artery of profunda artery.@*Methods@#From January 2015 to December 2018, 9 patients with soft tissue defects of extremities were treated in the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University. 5 males and 4 females; aged 29-48 years, average 36 years old. The causes of injury were traffic accident injury (4 cases), heavy object crush injury (3 cases) and mechanical injury (2 cases). There were 3 cases of soft tissue defect of upper limb, 6 cases of soft tissue defect of lower extremity, 2 cases of tendon and nerve rupture, 2 cases of fracture, 1 case of tendon and 1 case of bone exposure. All soft tissue defects were repaired with the perforator flap based on the first perforating artery of Profunda artery. After debridement, The range of soft tissue defect was 10 cm×5 cm-16 cm×10 cm. The intraoperative flap area was 12 cm×6 cm-18 cm×11 cm. The vascular anastomosis was performed in the area, the flap covered the wound surface and the donor site directly pulled the suture or grafted skin.@*Results@#All flaps survived completely and there were no complications such as vascular crisis. Follow-ups were performed in various forms for 6 to 12 months. These flaps were satisfactory in appearance and function and had a good texture.@*Conclusions@#The perforator flap based on the first perforating artery of profunda artery can repair the defects of the limbs in the soft group. The donor site of the flap is hidden, the amount of tissue available is relatively large and the repair effect is good.

Clinical study on the design scheme of the anterolateral thigh flap with three longitudinal and five transversal methods / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To explore the feasibility of preoperative designing for anterolateral femoral flap using three longitudinal and five transversal strategy.@*Methods@#From September 2015 to January 2017, 71 patients (73 pieces) were treated using anterolateral thigh flap in the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University. There were 48 males and 23 females, with the age of (36±18) years. The three longitudinal and five transversal designing was performed before operation. Portable Doppler ultrasound was used to detect the piercing-out position (P point) of perforators in Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ areas. The diameter, direction and length (lower subcutaneous segment of perforators) of perforators after leaving piercing-out position were observed during the operation. The piercing-in positions on superficial fascia and the dermis were observed.@*Results@#The data of 71 adults (73 legs) were evaluated. Before and during the operation, all the perforations were found in Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ areas. The number of perforators in region Ⅰ was 1.32±0.33, with the diameter of perforator at the piercing-out position was (0.79±0.13) mm. The length of subfascial segment of perforators was (1.54±0.97) cm, and the direction was oblique superolateral. The number of perforators in Ⅱ region was 1.21±0.53, with the diameter of perforator at the piercing-out position was (0.63±0.13) mm. The length of subfascial segment of perforators was (2.25±0.54) cm, and the direction was oblique inferoanterior. The distance form piercing-in position to line L was (0.84±0.42) cm. The number of perforators in the Ⅲ area was 2.22±0.49, with the diameter of perforators at the piercing-out position was (0.53±0.12) mm. The length of subfascial segment of perforator was (1.96±0.44) cm, and the direction was oblique inferoanterior. The distance between piercing-in positions to line L was (0.74±0.51) cm. The number of perforators in region Ⅳ was 1.41±0.72, with the length of subfascial segment of perforators was (1.22±0.45) cm and the direction was oblique inferolateral. There were 27 cases with oblique perforators, accounting for 37% of the total number of thighs.@*Conclusions@#This three longitudinal and five transversal designing is helpful to detect the expenditure point in the anterolateral femoral region, and is assistant to skin flap designing.

The research progress of reconstruction of lip defect / 中华整形外科杂志

Lips play an important role in maintaining facial aesthetics and individual physiological functions. There are many subunits of lip aesthetics, and the principles of repairing different subunits are different. At present, there are many method to repair lip defects, ranging from different types of local skin flaps to free skin flaps, but in general, functional repair and appearance recovery should be taken into account. This article reviews the main repair method of lip defect caused by acquired factors such as tumors and trauma.

Effects of free mini-flap on tibial side of third toe on repairing skin and soft tissue defect of finger pulp at the end of finger / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective@#To investigate the effects of free mini-flap on tibial side of third toe on repairing skin and soft tissue defect of finger pulp at the end of finger.@*Methods@#From August 2013 to May 2017, 18 patients with skin and soft tissue defect of finger pulp at the end of finger were admitted to our unit, with 12 men and 6 women aged 16 to 54 years. As the skin and soft tissue defect sites, there were 3 cases of thumb, 8 cases of index finger, 4 cases of middle finger, and 3 cases of ring finger. The area of defects ranged from 2.0 cm×1.4 cm to 3.5 cm×2.4 cm. Free mini-flaps on tibial side of third toes were designed according to area and shape of defects, and the length and width of flaps were 0.1 to 0.2 cm longer than the length and width of the defects, respectively. The area of flaps ranged from 2.1 cm×1.5 cm to 3.7 cm×2.6 cm. The end-to-end anastomosis of subcutaneous veins of flaps and superficial veins of the finger-palm side or superficial dorsal digital vein, the end-to-end tension-free anastomosis of the base metatarsal arteries on tibial side of third toe and proper digital arteries of recipient finger were performed. Besides, anastomosis of base metatarsal nerve on tibial side of third toe and proper digital nerve of recipient finger was performed. The donor sites on feet were sutured directly or repaired with full-thickness skin grafts on medial upper leg of the same side. The survival of flaps after operation and the follow-up of patients were observed.@*Results@#All flaps survived well, with good blood supply. Among the 18 patients, 2 patients lost to follow-up, and 16 patients were followed up for 4 to 36 months. The shape and texture of flaps were good. After reconstruction, finger pulps at the end of finger were plump, with fingerprint. Function of the finger restored well, and the two-point discriminatory distances of flaps were 5 to 10 mm. The donor sites on feet of 14 patients healed after the operation, the other 2 patients had necrosis on edge and central area of skin grafts, and the necrotic area healed after dressing change. The skin graft areas on feet were wear-resistant, with slight damage to donor sites and did not influence shoes wearing and walking. Besides, patients did not feel uncomfortable.@*Conclusions@#Skin and soft tissue defects of finger pulp at the end of finger repaired by free mini-flaps on tibial side of third toe are with good shape and slight damage to donor sites, and the operation is simple. It is worthy of popularization and application in clinic.

Effects of combined transplantation of rat Schwann cells and fibroblasts on nerve regeneration of denervated perforator flaps in rats and the mechanism / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective@#To explore the effects of combined transplantation of the rat Schwann cells and fibroblasts (Fbs) on the nerve regeneration of denervated perforator flaps in rats and the mechanism.@*Methods@#(1) Fbs were isolated from the trunk of 2 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats embryos of 14-16 days′ pregnancy and cultured, and the morphology of the cells was observed. The third passage of cells were used for subsequent experiments. The protein expressions of fibronectin and Ephrin-B2 were observed by immunohistochemical method. The mRNA expression of Ephrin-B2 was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (n=3). (2) Schwann cells were isolated from the bilateral sciatic nerves and brachial plexus nerves of 45 SD rats born for 1-3 days and cultured, and the morphology of the cells was observed. The third passage of cells were used for subsequent experiments. The rate of S100 positive cells was detected by immunofluorescence method and flow cytometer, with sample numbers of 9 and 3 respectively. (3) In Dulbecco′s modified Eagle medium (DMEM) high glucose medium, 1 mL Fbs and 1 mL Schwann cells both in the concentration of 1×105 cells/mL were co-cultured as Schwann cells+ Fbs co-culture group, and 2 mL Schwann cells in the concentration of 1×105 cells/mL were cultured alone as Schwann cells alone culture group, with 5 wells in each group. The clusters of Schwann cells in the two groups were observed and counted under inverted phase contrast microscope at post culture hour (PCH) 6 and 24 respectively. The clusters of Schwann cells in Schwann cells+ Fbs co-culture group were observed by immunofluorescence method at PCH 24 too. The protein expressions of EphB2, Sox2, and N-cadherin in Schwann cells of two groups at PCH 24 were detected by Western blotting (n=20). (4) Totally 100 8-week-old male SD rats were selected, and an in situ replanted peritoneal denervated perforator flap was made in each rat. According to the random number table, the rats were divided into simple flap group, Fbs alone transplantation group, Schwann cells alone transplantation group, Schwann cells+ Fbs co-transplantation group, with 25 rats in each group. Flaps of rats in Fbs alone transplantation group and Schwann cells alone transplantation group were injected with 0.4 mL Fb and 0.4 mL Schwann cells respectively (2×106 cells each). Flaps of rats in Schwann cells+ Fbs co-transplantation group were injected with 0.4 mL Fbs and Schwann cells mixed cells (totally 2×106 cells, cell number ratio: 1∶1), and flaps of rats of simple flap group were injected with the same volume of DMEM high glucose medium. On post injection day (PID) 2, 5, 7, 9, and 14, 5 rats in each group were selected respectively according to the random number table. The flap tissue was collected, and the number, diameter, and arrangement of regenerated nerves were observed by immunofluorescence method. Data were processed with completely random designed t test, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, t test, and Bonferroni correction.@*Results@#(1) The third passage of cells isolated and cultured from the rat embryo trunks were uniform in size and shape, long spindle-shaped, with a large proportion of nuclei. Strong positive expressions of fibronectin and Ephrin-B2 protein in cells were observed, and the mRNA expression of Ephrin-B2 was 0.004 1±0.000 8. The cells were identified as Fbs. (2) After 5 days of culture, the primary cells isolated from the sciatic nerves and brachial plexus nerves of neonatal rats were elongated in cell bodies and grew in nest, fence, or vortex-like shape. The third passage of cells were detected by immunofluorescence method and flow cytometer, and the corresponding S100 positive cell rates were (95.9±1.0)% and (95.8±1.1)% respectively. The cells were identified as Schwann cells. (3) At PCH 6 and 24, the cluster numbers of Schwann cells in Schwann cells+ Fbs co-culture group were significantly higher than those of Schwann cells alone culture group (t=6.500, 10.614, P<0.01). At PCH 24, the Schwann cells in Schwann cells+ Fbs co-culture group aggregated into clusters, Fbs dispersed around the Schwann cell clusters, and the protein expressions of EphB2, N-cadherin, and Sox2 in Schwann cells were significantly higher than those in Schwann cells alone culture group (t=2.975, 19.717, 11.159, P<0.05 or P<0.01). (4) On PID 2, a small number of scattered, disordered, short, and thin nerve fibers were observed in the flap tissue of rats in the four groups. From PID 5 to 14, the number of nerve fibers in the flap tissue of rats of Schwann cells+ Fbs co-transplantation group increased gradually, and the nerve fibers were with long diameter and arranged orderly. The number of nerve fibers in the flap tissue of rats of Schwann cells alone transplantation group increased, but the nerve fibers were with short diameter and arranged disorderly, and the number was smaller than that of Schwann cells+ Fbs co-transplantation group. In simple flap group and Fbs alone transplantation group, the nerve fibers in the flap tissue of rats gradually degenerated with gradually decreased number or even disappeared.@*Conclusions@#The combined transplantation of Fbs and Schwann cells in rats can regulate Schwann cells migration and clustering by activating Ephrin/Eph-Sox2-N-cadherin signaling pathway, thus promoting the orderly nerve regeneration of denervated perforator flaps in rats.

The experience of free perforators flap in the treatment of patients with Ⅳ degree ischia-sacral ulcer / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the design of free perforator flap, and the efficacy of utilizing perforator flaps for Ⅳ degree Ischia-sacral ulcer treatment.@*Methods@#From January 2010 to October 2016, 18 patients with Ⅳ degree ischia-sacral ulcer were treated. The surface area of the sacral tail ranged from 4 cm×5 cm to 8 cm ×12 cm.Doppler sonography was used to detect potential perforator.All defects were repaired with free perforator flaps, designed based on the size and shape of the wound. The flap size ranged from 6 cm×11 cm to 9 cm×15 cm.@*Results@#One perforator flap went dehiscence after surgery, repaired by V-Y flap. All the rest of perforator flaps survived well, after 3-24 months follow-up. Flap texture and appearance was good, no ulcer reoccurred.@*Conclusions@#The free perforator flap is a simple technique.It does not need to tracethe trunk of vessels, and it does not cause major morbidities to the buttocks. Therefore, it is one of the ideal ways to repair Ⅳ degree Ischia-sacral ulcer.

V-Y advanced flap with facial artery perforator for repairing the upper lip defect / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To evaluate the feasibility and clinical effect of V-Y advanced flap with facial artery perforator for repairing the upper lip defect.@*Methods@#Between January 2014 and March 2017, 29 cases with the upper lip tumor or additional scar resulted from trauma. The lesions size ranged from 0.8 cm×2.0 cm-1.9 cm×3.0 cm in diameter. V-Y advanced flap with facial artery perforator was designed according to the size, shape and the location of the wound, and the donor site was closed directly.@*Results@#All the 29 flaps survived completely, including four cases appeared vein congestion at the distal region of the flap, and recovered after active conservative treatment. All the patients were followed up for 3 to 15 months (on average 8 months), with no tumor recurrence, inconspicuous scar. All the patients were satisfied with their function and appearance.@*Conclusions@#V-Y advanced flap with facial artery perforator, which could achieve good cosmetic and functional effect, with little influence to the donor site, is an optimal choice to reconstruct the defect of the upper lip.

Use propeller perforator flap to repair the skin malignancies wound on the back of the shoulder / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective To discuss the therapeutic effect of free perforator flap of the humeral back and the healing of the wound after the removal of the malignant tumor.Methods From January,2012 to June,2016,12 cases were treated as soft tissue tumors on shoulder,including 8 cases of skin juga fibrosarcoma,3 cases of basal cell carcinoma,squamous cell carcinoma of the skin in 1 case.Preoperative using doppler ultrasound probe design perforator flap to expand resection,intraoperative cut edge basal tag frozen pathological examination without taking skin flap after the tumor invasion,according to the wound and wear the appropriate adjustment design of perforator flap.Followed-up to observe recurrence,flaps or ulcers,and the texture of the flap and the feel of the flap.All patients were followed-up regularly.Results All 12 patients were followed-up for 6-48 months.The flaps were all alive.The tumor did not relapse,and the flap was not swollen.The texture was consistent with the surrounding tissue.There was no ulceration of the flap.No obvious depression deformity.The outlook of flaps was satisfied,but the feeling was not.The doror sites were closed directly.Conclusion Adjacent using humeral back free perforators flap to repair the defect after tumor resection on shoulder is an easy operation.It is one of the ideal flaps to repair a malignant tumor on the back of the shoulder.

Clinical effects of middle and low peroneal artery perforator flap with pedicle on repairing skin and soft tissue defects of ankle / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective@#To investigate clinical effects of middle and low peroneal artery perforator flap with pedicle on repairing skin and soft tissue defects of ankle.@*Methods@#Twenty patients with skin and soft tissue defects of ankle and exposure of tendon and bone were admitted in our burn wards from April 2012 to December 2015. The size of skin and soft tissue defects ranged from 5 cm×4 cm to 23 cm×10 cm. Patients were treated with debridement and vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) after admission. After VSD treatment for 1 week, flap transplantation operation was performed. Middle and low perforating branches of peroneal artery were detected by portable Doppler blood flow meter before the operation. Flaps were designed and resected according wounds during the operation, with 1 or 2 middle and low perforating branches of peroneal artery in flaps. Seventeen patients were treated with middle and low peroneal artery perforator flap. Larger wounds with exposure of tendon and bone were repaired with middle and low peroneal artery perforator flap, and the other wounds were repaired with intermediate split-thickness skin graft of thigh on the same side in three patients. The size of flap ranged from 6 cm×5 cm to 25 cm×12 cm. The donor sites were sutured directly or repaired with intermediate split-thickness skin graft of thigh on the same side.@*Results@#After operation, 1 patient with partial skin necrosis at the distal of the flap because of disorder of venous circulation healed after dressing change and physiotherapy, and flaps of the other 19 patients survived well. During follow-up of 3 to 36 months, flaps of all patients were in good appearance, with no obvious cicatrix, and the affected limbs and ankle joints functioned well.@*Conclusions@#Middle and low peroneal artery perforator flap with advantages of stable perforating branch, reliable blood supply, and large resected size, can repair skin and soft tissue defects of ankle.

The optimization of propeller flap with low peroneal artery perforator for defects at ankle and heel / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the therapeutic effect of propeller flap with low peroneal artery perforator for defects at ankle and heel.@*Methods@#From January 2009 to March 2016, 28 cases with skin defects at ankle and heel were treated with propeller flap pedicled by low peroneal artery perforator, including 15 cases of car accidents, 8 cases of pressure injury, 3 cases of wring injury and 2 cases of electricity shock injury. Defects size ranged from 3 cm×3 cm to 4 cm×6 cm. The fibular was divided into 9 segments from head to external ankle. Doppler ultrasound was used to locate the low peroneal artery perforator from the lower 6-9 segments. The flap pivot point was at perforator point at skin surface, with the peroneal artery as flap axis. The length of big blade was the distance from rotate point to distal end of defects. The flap width was half of the length. The ratio of big blade length to width should not exceed 2∶1. The flaps size was from 3 cm×5 cm to 4 cm×10 cm, based on the defect size. The defects at donor site could be closed with small blade directly.@*Results@#Partial necrosis happened in 1 case due to veneous crisis, which healed after dressing. All the other 27 flaps survived completely. During the follow-up period, the flaps had good match in color and thickness. No secondary operation was needed.@*Conclusions@#The optimization of propeller flap with low peroneal artery perforator is an idealmethod for defects at ankle and heel, which can avoid the necrosis at distal end of flap.

Free lobulated lateral circumflex femoral artery perforator flap for foot and ankle defect at non-weight bearing area / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of free lobulated lateral circumflex femoral artery perforator flap for foot and ankle defect at non-weight bearing area.@*Methods@#From January 2008 to June 2016, 28 cases with foot and ankle skin and soft tissue defects at non-weight bearing area were treated, including 16 cases with traffic accident, 8 cases with machine injury, and 4 cases with falling injury. There were 10 cases with Achilles tendon exposure, 16 cases with dorsalis pedis tendons exposure and 12 cases with bone exposure. The defect size ranged from 10 cm×8 cm to 16 cm×13 cm. Doppler ultrasound detector was used to select two perforators of lateral femoral circumflex artery. The lobulated perforator flap was designed and harvested as one flap. After clip test was performed to make sure the blood supply of flap, the flap was segmented and repositioned to cover the wound. The width of lobulated flaps was less than 8cm, in order to close the defect at donor sites directly. Postoperative rountine anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, anticonvulsive treatment and function exercise were adopted. The patients were followed up for 6-28 months.@*Results@#The flap size ranged from 9.0 cm×4.5 cm to 17.0 cm×7.0 cm. Partial necrosis happened at the end of one flap lobe due to pressure, which healed after dressing. All the other 27 flaps survived completely with satisfactory cosmetic and functional result. The wounds at donor sites all healed primarily.@*Conclusions@#Free lobulated lateral circumflex femoral artery perforator flap is one of the ideal flaps with high survival rate and low complication for foot and ankle defect at non-weight bearing area.

Repair of the preauricular defects by the superficial temporal artery frontal branch flap and the retrograde retroauricular artery flap / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of the superficial temporal artery frontal branch flap combine with the retrograde retroauricular artery flap in repairing the preauricular defects.@*Methods@#The superficial temporal artery frontal branch flap with hair is designed for sideburns reconstruction, and the hairless retrograde retroauricular artery flap for repair the hairless area which is between the tragus and the temples. The donor sites were closed directly.@*Results@#From September 2012 to September 2015, 9 cases were treated. All flaps survived completely. Surgical incisions and wounds at donor sites and recipient sites healed primarily. All cases were followed up for 6-18 months (10 months on average) and cosmetic results were satisfactory without visible scar.@*Conclusions@#The method of the superficial temporal artery frontal branch flap combined with the retrograde retroauricular artery flap for the repair of preauricular a large skin defect is simple with less and inconspicious auxiliary incision. The sidebums and hairless area can be simultaneously reconstructed with satisfactory appearance.

The preoperative design optimization and clinical application of the anterolateral thigh flap / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective To prospectively summary the piercing-out position,direction,length and piercing-in position of perforator,and investigate the feasibility of preoperative design and optimization of the anterolateral thigh flap and its clinical application.Methods All 58 cases of anterolateral thigh flaps were designed and taken from the lateral thigh area from January,2014 to January,2016.Portable Doppler ultrasound was used before an operation to detect the piercing-out position (point P) of perforators.The direction and length (lower subcutaneous segment of perforators) of perforators after leaving piercing-out position were observed during the operation.And the piercing-in positions (point P') on superficial fascia and the dermis were observed.Based on this,we added line B (anterior superior spine-lateral femoral epicondyle) and line C (anterior superior spine-the middle point of superior border of patella) in the lateral and anterior side of original ilium-patella line in the thigh (line A),respectively.Results All perforators found in 58 cases before and during the operations were located on line A or between line A and line B.No perforators were found between line A and line C.Perforators walked toward the anterior medial side after leaving the muscle membrane.The perforator vascular subcutaneous segment (distance between point P and point P') was (2.02±0.23) cm.There was rectus muscle branch in the descending branch of lateral femoral circumflex artery,while no rectus muscle cutaneous branch was seen.20 cases were designed by one-line method,12 cases were designed by two-line method,while 26 cases were designed by three-line method.Conclusion Advanced three-line method is beneficial to detect of the perforators on the anterior thigh lateral region and to reduce the intraoperative injury perforator vessels at the puncture point.Clinical application of the anterior lateral thigh flap is simple and reliable.

Application of anterolateral thigh free flap with multiple perforators descending from lateral circumflex femoral artery in reconstruction of complex defects of children extremities / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective To investigate the application of anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flap preserving multiple perforators descending from lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) in reconstruction of complex defects of children extremities.Methods From January,2016 to January,2017,7 children admitted with soft tissue defects were reconstructed with ALT free flap preserving multiple perforitors descending from LCFA.According to body surface projection and distribution patterns of perforators descending from LCFA,preoperative portable Doppler was used to localize these perforators.Fascia lata harvest was spared for those without ligament and articular joint reconstruction.Defects and fascia lata was closed primarily.All patients were followed up at regular intervals.Results Follow-up period was 3-9 months(mean,6.5 months.Follow-up methods include on-site follow-up,wechat follow-up,telephone follow-up,etc.).The color of ALT flaps was normal.The texture of ALT flap was good.The linear scar in donor sites was found.The paresthesia around incision in donor sites was complained of.Postoperative appearance and function of injured limbs was satisfactory.Conclusion Design of Unipaddled or multipaddled ALT free flap with multiple perforators descending from LCFA is flexible.Perforators are thick and consistent.ALT flap with multiple perforators descending from LCFA is an ideal one to be used in reconstruction of complex soft tissue defects.