Novel application and evaluation of superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap / 中华显微外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:Verstaile free superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap(SCIAPF) were adopted for various reconstructive scenarios, and its clinical effect and value was evaluated.Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on 42 patients with tissue defects admitted in the Department of Orthopeadic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2015 to May 2019. Nine patients had injury in the foot, 8 in ankle, 8 in calf, 7 in forearm, 9 in hand, and 1 in the mouth. All of the defects were repaired by SCIAPF, including 28 single soft tissue defect wounds, 8 multiple soft tissue defect, and 6 composite defects. The size of soft tissue defect were 1.2 cm×1.8 cm-14.0 cm×20.8 cm. The size of flaps were 1.5 cm×2.0 cm-15.3 cm×22.3 cm. The patients entered follow up by outpatient clinic visit and telephone reviews to observe the survival of the flaps, functional recovery and complications.Results:In this series, there were 28 flaps, including 18 pedicled with superficia branch of superficial circumflex iliac artery, 2 pedicled with deep branch of superficial circumflex iliac artery, and 8 pedicled with 2 branches. Six were chimeric flaps. Among them, 4 flaps were iliac bone flaps with superficial branch of superficial circumflex iliac artery flaps, and 2 were superficial iliac circumflex artery flap with sartorius muscle flap. Eight cases were resurfaced with lobulated SCIAPF. Arterial anastomoses: end-to-side in 35 arteries and end-to-end in 7 arteries. Venous anastomosis: end-to-end in 27 veins and end-to-side in 15 veins. Venous return through superficial iliac circumflex vein in 25 flaps, through venae comitantes in 12 flaps and through both in 5 flaps. All flap donor sites were sutured directly. All flaps survived uneventfully except for one that compromised with end-to-side anastomotic dehiscence and bleeding, and survived after re-anastomosis. All flaps and donor sites healed primarily. During the follow-up of 6-24(mean, 11.5) months, the pliable flaps were ruddy in colour and soft in texture, without obvious bloatness and pigmentation. The donor site healed well with linear scars in 35 cases and mild scar hyperplasia in 7 cases. The donor hip function were normal. Three patients suffered a numbness of the thigh caused by intraoperative injury lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and it disappeared completely after 3 months.Conclusion:New applications of lobulated or chimeric SCIAPF, based on the SCIA vasculature or its branches, can meet most of the clinical repair requirement.