The medial-lower-leg-flap with a healthy limb cross-leg bridging thoracic umbilical flap to repair large-area skin defects of lower limbs / 中华整形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To investigate the clinical application of repairing the large-area skin defect of legs with medial-lower-leg-flap with a healthy limb cross-leg bridging thoracic umbilical flap.@*Methods@#16 cases with a large area of soft tissue defects caused by severe trauma were included in this study. The vascular pedicles of free thoracic umbilical flap were anastomosed with the opposite posterior tibial artery and vein, and the pedicle skin tubes were made and amputated 4 weeks after surgery.Observation of postoperative flap include survival situation, shape, color, elastic, scar contracture, and dysfunction.@*Results@#16 cases of postoperative all flaps survived.In 1 case pain occurred 10 hours after the operation and led to arterial crisis, which was relieved with analgesia.There were no vascular crisis in other 15 eases. Followed up for 2-24 months, all the flaps survived with good color, elasticity and sensory recovery. There was no apparent stiffness in double knee and ankle joint.@*Conclusions@#For the injured limbs impossible to be repaired with local vascular pedicle, routine local transfer of skin flap or cross leg skin flap, the bridge cross anastomosis of free flap graft may be an ideal surgical treatment.