Bipedicle split tibialis anterior muscle flap for coverage of exposed tibia

ABSTRACT

Cases of pre-tibial soft tissue loss with exposure of the tibia usually entails employing complicated surgical procedures for coverage of such defects which may be uncomfortable both to the patient and the surgeon. This study describes a relatively simple and easy technique, which uses the antero-lateral portion of the tibialis anterior muscle as a longitudinally split bipedicle muscle flap to cover such defects. By this method it was able to cover most of the defects of middle 1/3 of the leg of width up to 6 cm and of length up to 15 cm. The results of 11 cases are discussed