Objective To review the research progress of the skin flap, fascial flap, muscle flap, and myocutaneous flap for repairing soft tissue defects around the knee so as to provide information for clinical application. Methods Domestic and abroad literature concerning the methods of soft tissue repair around the knee in recent years was reviewed extensively and analyzed. Results Fascial flaps meet the requirements of thin, pliable, and tough skin in the soft tissue repair around the knee. Myocutaneous flaps and muscle flaps have more abundant blood supply and anti-infection function. Free skin flaps are the only option when defects are extensive and local flaps are unavailable. Conclusion Suitable flaps should be chosen for soft tissue repair around the knee according to defect position, depth, and extent. Fascial flaps may be selected as the first flaps for defects repair because of excellent aesthetic results and less injury at the donor site.
Objective To investigate the effects of botulinum toxin type A (BTXA) on the excessive expansion speed and blood supply of myocutaneous flap. Methods Seven adult Guizhou minipigs of clean grade were included, female or male and weighing 16-20 kg. The 2.4 mL BTXA solution (96 U) was injected in cutaneous muscle (24 points) of one side as experimental group (n=7), the 2.4 mL saline in the other side as control group (n=7). Two expanders (200mL) were implanted beneath the cutaneous muscle on the bilateral flank of each pig symmertrically at 3 days after injection. One week later, the expanders were filled with saline every 4 days with an intracapsular pressure of 11.97 kPa, and accumulative total amounted to 400 mL for 3 weeks in control group and 5 weeks in experimental group. Then the expanders were taken out; the myocutaneous flaps formed and were sutured in situ. The myocutaneous flaps were cut for histological examination and capillary count. The expansion speed of the myocutaneous flap were recorded. The blood supply of the myocutaneous flap were observed by infrared thermography at 1 week after implantation expanders, before removing the expanders, and at 5 days after myocutaneous flap suture in situ. Results All the animals survived to the end of the experiment. The total expansion time was (54.0 ± 3.1) days in experimental group and (67.0 ± 3.9) days in control group, showing significant difference (t= —8.107, P=0.000). All myocutaneous flaps survived after being sutured in situ. Infrared thermograhy revealed that the temperature of the distal myocutaneous flap in experimental group was significantly higher than that in control group at 1 week after implantation of expanders (P lt; 0.05); at 5 days after myocutaneous flap suture in situ, the temperature of the central flap in experimental group was significantly higher than that in control group (P lt; 0.05); and there was no significant difference between 2 groups at the other time points (P gt; 0.05). The histological observation showed that the blood vessel density of the dermal layer and tissue between the capsule and the muscle layer in experimental group was significantly higher than those in control group (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion When excessive expansion is performed, BTXA can accelerate the expansion rate and improve the blood supply of expanded myocutaneous flaps.
Objective To investigate the application of free flaps in combinedtransplantation and its clinical outcome. Methods From January 1991 to December 2003, 56 cases of combined transplantation involving cutaneous or myocutaneous flaps were performed to repair extremely large soft tissue defects, large-sized skin and segmental bone defects and to simultaneously reconstruct the missing thumb andrepair the associated skin defects in the first web space.Of the 56 patients, 37 were males, 19 were females. Their ages ranged from 5 to 41, 27.6 in average.The transplants included latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap, scapular flap, lateral femoral flap, big toe skin-nail flap, and fibula. To establish blood circulation in the transplants, the common vascular pedicle was anastomosed directly to the vessels in the recipient site in 35 cases but to the selected vessels in the healthy limb in 21through a cross-bridge procedure. Results With failure in 2 cases of combined transplantation of latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap and vascularized fibula, all the transplants survived well. In the 32 cases of long bone defects with successful repair, the transplanted fibulas united with host bones 14.5 weeks after operation on the average. A mean follow-up of 28 (10-128) months revealed thatfunction in all cases was recovered, while one patient, who underwent a successful combined transplantation of latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap and vascularized fibula, required amputation of the involved leg 3 years after repair because of the repeated ulcers in the toes. Conclusion The application of free flaps incombined transplantation can lead to an effective repair of complicated tissue defects of the limb and to a successful reconstruction of the associated missing thumb.
In order to observe the morphological feature and blood supply of the pedicled trapezius myocutaneous flap, dissection was carried out on 114 sides of 54 cadavers. It was demostrated that trapezius muscle had multiple sources for its blood supply, including (1) dorsal scapular artery; (2)transvers cervical artery; (3) occipital artery and (4)spinal perforating artery. The dorsal scapular artery may originate from the same stem with the transvers cervical artery (68.4%), or originate seperatly (31.6%). Thirteen patients had radical resection for malignant tumour of head and neck, and were combined with pedicled trapezius myocutaneous flap, in which 6 with upper trapezius myocutaneous flap and 7 with lower trapezius myocutaneous flap. The results were fairly good. the advantages and disadvantages of the lower and upper trapezius myocutaneous flaps as well as the pectorlis major myocutaneous flap were discussed.
The experience of the treatment of 5 thoracic ulcers and 1 large and deep neck ulcer was reported. Vascularized latissimus dorsi and rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps were used to treat the ulcers with one failure. No recurrence was foundduring the followup from one to five years. In the early stage of acute inflammatory necrosis, treatment was focused on debridement. In order to remove the necrotic tissue and provide good drainage, it was not appropriate to cover the wound immediately. In the chronic stage, the radiation ulcers with their adjacent tissues should be excised. Island myocutaneous flap and axial pattern skin flap were selected to repair the wound. If the wound was too large, two flaps may be combined to cover it. No matter what kind of flap was chosen, the donor site should be far away from the ulcer.
Semitendinosus muscle composite flap was used to repair the neighbouring tissue defects. This is a admissible operation method. Accordingly, this article introduced our studies on semitendinosus muscle: 1. The length of the muscle renter was evaluated by regression equation. 2. Morphological characteristics the muscle, the source and distribution of the vessels were observed. The length of the pedicle of the vessel and external caliber were measured. 3. According to the clinic requrement, the muscle was divided at certain position and was turned upwards or downwards with the vascular pedicle to carry out the repair the defects of the gluteal, sacral, perineal or leg region, and so forth. This study provided the morphoiogical data of semitendinosus muscle composite flap for surgical application.
A new method of transfer of the nasolabial skin flap, the myocutaneous flap with pediculated guadratus labii superioris muscle was introduced. It was applied in 9 cases mid-face defects with satisfactory results. The applied anatomy and the its operative technique were briefly discussed.