In order to preserve the major vessels of the extremities in the repair and reconstruction of wounds of the extremities, the distally based fascial pedicled island flap was applied clinically. Its axis and rotatary point were designed along orientation of the major arteries, and the blood supply was from the abundant vascular networks in the deep fascia. Twenty-two cases with exposure of tendon and bone including 10 upper limbs and 12 lower limbs were treated. The flap area of forearm ranged from 7 cm x 8 cm to 12 cm x 9 cm and the ratio of the length to width of the pedicle was 1: 1-2. The flap area of the calf ranged from 10 cm x 6 cm to 16.5 cm x 12 cm and the ratio of the length to width of the pedicle was 2:1. The rotatary angle was 130 degrees-170 degrees. After operation, 18 flaps were survived completely, 2 cases had partial necrosis on the margin, 2 failures received cross-leg flap in the second operation. The patients were followed up with an average of 13.5 months (ranged from 3 months to 2 years). The conclusions were as follows: 1. the blood supply of this type of flap was reliable and the major arteries of the extremities needed not to be sacrificed; 2. the preparation of the flap was easy and the survival rate was satisfactory; 3. the shortcomings of this flap were unsightly incision scar and the limited size of flap and; 4. during the operation, the compression of the pedicle must be avoided.
OBJECTIVE: To provide an anatomical basis for the clinical applications of the medial fascinocutaneous flap of calf and to verify its clinical value. METHODS: In 20 lower limb specimens of adult human cadavers, the number, course, size, position and distribution of septocutaneous branches of the posterior tibial vessels are marked by means of red latex and black ink irrigations through femur artery and septocutaneous branches of the posterior tibial artery respectively. RESULTS: The posterior tibial artery gives off several septocutaneous branches at the upper, middle and lower one-third of the leg respectively. Each septocutaneous artery has one or sometimes two concomitant veins. Based on this result, anterograde or reverse pedicled fasciocutaneous flap can be performed for the purpose of repairing soft tissue defects of leg and foot. The flap was clinically applied to treat leg and foot soft tissue defects in 12 cases with satisfactory results. CONCLUSION: The flap is easy to dissect, the posterior tibial artery can be preserved with high successful rate. Therefore, it offers an useful alternative in the repairing and reconstruction of nonextensive soft tissue defects in the leg and foot.
OBJECTIVE In order to increase the survival area of pedicled fasciocutaneous flap, a multiple pedicled blocking randomized fasciocutaneous flap was designed. METHODS From January 1991 to September 1998, this technique was used to repair 33 cases, including 27 males and 6 females and the ages ranged from 6 to 58 years. All of the patients were suffered from traffic accidents. In these cases, 22 cases had skin defects of legs and feet with bone, nerve and tendon exposed, 5 cases had osteomyelitis as well as internal fixaters exposed and the other 6 had deformity from scar. The size of the flap was 25.0 cm x 13.0 cm x 2.4 cm at its maximum and 6.0 cm x 3.5 cm x 1.5 cm at its minimum. Based on the traditional blocking flap, according to the severity of the wound and conditions of the neighboring tissues, a flap having 2 to 4 orthogonal pedicles with a width of 1.5 to 3.0 cm was designed. The medical-graded stainless steel sheet was implanted below the deep fascia, and after blocking for 3 to 6 days, the side pedicles were divided. 6 to 14 days later, one of the two remaining pedicles was divided and was transferred to repair the defect. RESULTS 31 cases were followed up for 6 months to 5 years without any trouble of the joints. The flap had a good external appearance and was high pressure-resistant. CONCLUSION The multiple pedicled blocking randomized fasciocutaneous flap increased the size of the flap and the length to width ratio. It had the following advantages: manage at will, high resistance to infection and a large survival area of flap.
Objective To investigate the application of arm medial fascio-cutaneous flap pedicled with cutaneous nerve and nutrient vessel. Methods From February 1999 to December 2004, 18 cases of skin and soft tissue defect in axillary region, elbow and forearm were treated with arm medial fascio-cutaneous flap pedicled with cutaneous nerve and nutrient vessel. Arm medial fascio-cutaneous flap was directly transferred in 3 cases, adversely transferred in 15 cases. The flap area was 4.5 cm×8.5 cm. Results Vein circulation crisis was observed in 3 cases. Of the3 cases, 1 was necrosis and the other 2 by decompressing small vein were saved.The rest 15 cases survived.The period of follow-up was 3 to 30 months. Flap was satisfactory in appearance and function. Conclusion Arm medial fascio-cutaneous flap pedicled withcutaneous nerve and nutrient vessels can be directly or adversely transferred to repair adjacent soft tissue defect.
OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical application of the medial arm fasciocutaneous flap based on the medial septocutaneous branches of the brachial vessel. METHODS: Since 1994, the medial arm fasciocutaneous flap based on the medial septocutaneous branches of the branchial vessel has been used to cure scar contracture of axillary and elbow joint, radiated ulcer of the chest wall. Eighteen clinical cases were reported. Among them, there were 14 males and 4 females, aged from 6 to 48 years old. The flaps, of which 3 were proximally based and 15 distally based, were designed 23 cm x 11 cm as maximal size and 10 cm x 6 cm as minimal size. RESULTS: All the flaps survived and the excellent function and cosmetic result were achieved. CONCLUSION: The medial arm fasciocutaneous flap is thin, soft and relatively hairless, so it is suitable for repairing the soft tissue defect of the axillary or elbow joint. There are consistently present perforators at both ends that allow one to rotate long flaps around pivoting points immediate to the areas needing coverage. Moreover, this flap is characterized by the simplicity of the surgical techniques and circulatory reliability.
Objective To improve the success rate of the reverse fascio-cutaneous flap in repairing the infected wound, to observe the effect of surgical delay on the anti-infection abil ity of the reverse fascio-cutaneous flap by establ ishing an oryctolagus cuniculus model of reverse fascio-cutaneous flap based on sural nerve on the lateral side of left later l imb. Methods Sixteen 5-month-old Japanese white rabbits weighing 2.0-2.5 kg (mean, 2.3 kg) were randomly divided into experimental group (n=8) and control group (n=8). The reverse fascio-cutaneous flap of 4 cm × 2 cm was designed, based on 1 cm above the lateral malleolar as pedicle in sural nerve region in the lateral left later l imb. In the experimental group, thefull-thickness of the flap distal end half was harvested according to the design; and after 10 days delay, the full-thickness flap was obtained according to the design, and 0.5 mL staphylococcus aureus solution was implanted at a density of 3.8 × 106 /mL in 2 groups. The general observation was performed postoperatively; the venous blood of the marginal ear vein was collected to observe white blood cell (WBC) count before implantation of staphylococcus aureus solution and after 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 days of implantation. The flap survival rate and the colony counting of necrosis flap tissue were calculated after 10 days of implantation; the blood vessel cal iber and the peak value of peroneal artery blood flow of flap proximal end were measured after 14 days of implantation. Results All animals survived to the end of the experiment, and all incisions healed primarily. Inflammatory reaction with different degrees was observed after implantation in 2 groups, and it was obvious at 3-5 days. Inflammatory reaction in the experimental group was sl ighter than that in the control group. Except for no significant difference before implantation and after 14 days of implantation between 2 groups (P gt; 0.05), there were significant differences in WBC count at other time points between 2 groups (P lt; 0.05). The flap survival rate of the experimental group (93.20% ± 4.62%) was significant higher than that of the control group (72.65% ± 7.80%) after 10 days of implantation (P lt; 0.05). The colony counting of necrosis flap tissue in the experimental group [(20.63 ± 5.76) × 103 colony/g] was significantly lower than that in the control group [(32.38 ± 6.14) × 103 colony/g] after 10 days of implantation (P lt; 0.05). The blood vessel cal iber of the experimental group and the control group were (1.03 ± 0.10) mm and (0.75 ± 0.09) mm, respectively, and the peak value of peroneal artery blood flow in the experimental group and the control group were (20.73 ± 2.46) cm/s and (13.83 ± 1.51) cm/s, respectively, after 14 days of implantation; showing significant differences between 2 groups (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion Surgical delay has the abil ity of enhancing survival and anti-infection of the rabbit reverse fascio-cutaneous flap.