ObjectiveTo introduce the surgical method and effectiveness of repairing skin and soft tissue defect in the palm or dorsum of the hand and forearm with epigastric bilobed flap. MethodsBetween October 2010 and December 2013, 4 male patients with skin and soft tissue defect in the palm or dorsum of the hand and forearm were treated, aged from 36 to 62 years. Of them, 3 cases had degloving injury caused by machines and 1 case had necrosis of fingers and skin after surgery of crush injury. The time from injury to hospitalization was from 3 hours to 15 days. Among the 4 cases, the size of palmar defect was 7 cm×4 cm to 16 cm×6 cm, and the size of dorsal defect was 10 cm×7 cm to 20 cm×10 cm. The epigastric bilobed flap was designed based on the axial vessel which was formed by inferior epigastric artery, superior epigastric artery, and intercostals arteries. The size of flap ranged from 12 cm×4 cm to 18 cm×6 cm in the vertical direction, 15 cm×8 cm to 22 cm×11 cm in the oblique direction. The donor site was directly closed. The pedicles were cut at 22 to 24 days after repairing operation. ResultsAll the flaps survived well with the wound healing by first intention. Four patients were followed up 3 months to 1 year and 2 months. The other flaps had good appearance and texture except 1 bulky flap. The flap sensation basically restored to S2-S3. The function of the hands recovered well. ConclusionSkin and soft tissue defect in the palm or dorsum of the hand and forearm can be repaired with the epigastric bilobed flap, because it has such advantages as big dermatomic area and adequate blood supply. Besides, the operation is practical, safe, and simple.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of tissue transplantation combined with bone transmission in treatment of large defects of tibial bone and soft tissue. Methods Between February 2006 and February 2011, 15 cases of traumatic tibia bone and soft tissue defects were treated. There were 12 males and 3 females, aged from 16 to 54 years (mean, 32 years). After internal and external fixations of fracture, 11 patients with open fracture (Gustilo type III) had skin necrosis, bone exposure, and infection; after open reduction and internal fixation, 2 patients with closed fracture had skin necrosis and infection; and after limb replantation, 2 patients had skin necrosis and bone exposure. The area of soft tissue defect ranged from 5 cm × 5 cm to 22 cm × 17 cm. Eight cases had limb shortening with an average of 3.5 cm (range, 2-5 cm) and angular deformity. The lenghth of bone defect ranged from 4 to 18 cm (mean, 8 cm). The flap transplantation and skin graft were used in 9 and 6 cases, respectively; bone transmission and limb lengthening orthomorphia were performed in all cases at 3 months after wound healing; of them, 2 cases received double osteotomy bone transmission, and 14 cases received autologous bone graft and reset after apposition of fracture ends. Results All flaps and skin grafts survived; the wound healed at 3.5 months on average (range, 3 weeks-18 months). The length of bone lengthening was 6-22 cm (mean, 8 cm). The time of bone healing and removal of external fixation was 9.5-39.0 months (mean, 15 months). The healing index was 40-65 days/cm (mean, 55 days/cm). All patients were followed up 1-5 years (mean, 4 years). The wounds of all the cases healed well without infection or ulceration. The functions of weight-bearing and walking were recovered; 6 cases had normal gait and 9 cases had claudication. The knee range of motion was 0° in extention, 120-160° in flexion (mean, 150°). According to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scoring system for ankle function, the results were excellent in 7 cases, good in 4 cases, and fair in 4 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 73.3%. Conclusion Tissue transplantation combined with bone transmission is an effective method to treat large defects of soft tissue and tibial bone, which can increase strength of bone connection and reduce damage to the donor site.
Objective?To introduce a new method of flap design and to investigate the feasibility of the clinical application.?Methods?Between April 2006 and November 2009, 89 patients with skin and soft tissue defects were treated. There were 47 males and 42 females with an average age of 36 years (range, 16-67 years). The injuries were caused by machine crush (38 cases), electric saw (16 cases), electricity (8 cases), traffic accident (18 cases), rolling machine (3 cases), and crash of heavy object (6 cases). The locations were forearm in 4 cases, palm in 23 cases, finger in 41 cases, lower leg in 7 cases, and dorsum of foot in 14 cases. All the cases complicated by exposure of tendons or bones. The time from injury to hospitalization was 30 minutes to 5 days (mean, 3 hours). The areas of skin and soft tissue defect ranged from 2.0 cm × 1.5 cm to 26.0 cm × 18.0cm. The wounds were repaired with the pedicle flaps in 72 cases and the free flaps in 17 cases. All the flaps were designed with eight-point-location method. A trapezoid was made in the raw surface and the four vertexes of the trapezoid were on the edge of the raw surface. The exterior points of the heights of arciforms were made on the edge of the raw surface too. The eight points were the labelling points. The top width, the bottom width, the height of the trapezoid, and the heights of the arciforms could be measured. The above numerus were expanded 5%-10%. The expanded numerus were the corresponding numerus of the skin flap. The size of flaps ranged from 2.2 cm × 1.7 cm to 28.5 cm × 19.5cm. The donor sites were closed directly in 17 cases, and repaired with skin grafts in 72 cases.?Results?All the flaps were successfully dissected according to flap design. When the flaps were transplanted to the wounds, tension of the flaps was appropriate. All the flaps and skin grafts survived. The wounds and incisions at donor sites healed by first intention. Eighty-nine patients were followed up 6 to 26 months (mean, 20 months). The texture, appearance, flexibility, and function of the flaps were satisfactory, and no complication occurred. The sensory restoration of the pedicle flaps were graded as S3-S4.?Conclusion?It is an ideal and simple method to design flap using eight-point-location method. The flaps are precise in the figure and area.
Objective To investigate the operative procedure and the cl inical results of reverse lateral tarsal artery flap in treating forefoot skin and soft tissue defect. Methods From August 2007 to April 2009, 11 patients with forefoot skin and soft tissue defect were treated with reverse lateral tarsal artery flaps, including 7 males and 4 females aged from 16 to 60 years(36 years on average). Of 11 cases, defects were caused by crash in 5 cases, by grind contusion in 3 cases and the course disease was 4-12 hours; by tumor extended resection in 3 cases and the disease course was 3-12 months. There were 5 wounds on the dorsum of first metatarsophalangeal joint, 2 on the dorsum of the first toes, and 4 on the dorsum of distal part of metatarsal bones. The area of defect ranged from 4 cm × 2 cm to 6 cm × 5 cm. There were 6 cases of tendon exposure, 4 cases of tendon defect with bone exposure, and 1 case of tendon defect with open dislocation of metatarsophalangeal joint. The flap was designed with dorsal artery of foot as its pedicle. The plantar perforating branch was designed as its rotating point. And the flaps were transferred retrogradely to repair the forefoot wounds. The flap area ranged from 4.5 cm × 2.5 cm to 6.5 cm × 4.5 cm. The lateral dorsal nerve of foot was anastomosed with the nerve in wound area in 7 cases. Donor site was covered by full thickness skin graft. Results Partial necrosis occurred and was cured by dressing change, followed by skin graft in 2 cases. The flaps survived and primary heal ing was achieved in the other 9 cases. All the skin grafts of donor site survived and primary heal ing wasachieved after operation. All the patients were followed up for 6 months to 2 years, averaged 13 months. The texture and color of the flap were similar to skin at the recipient site. All patients returned to normal in walking and running and no ulceration occurred. The two point discrimination was 5-12 mm 6 months after operation in 7 patients who received nerve anastomosis, while only protective sensation recovered partly in the other 4 patients whose cutaneous nerve were not anastomosed. Conclusion Reverse lateral tarsal artery flap has the perfect shape and its blood vessel is constant. The blood pedicle is thick and long enough when transferred retrogradely. The flap is a good choice in the treatment of forefoot skin and soft tissue defect.