Objective To explore the effectiveness of free paraumbilical perforator flaps in repairing skin and soft tissue defects in children. Methods Between February 2018 and March 2024, 12 children with skin and soft tissue defects were treated with the free paraumbilical perforator flaps. There were 7 boys and 5 girls with an average age of 6.3 years (range, 2-12 years). The defects located on the upper limbs in 6 cases, lower limbs in 5 cases, and neck in 1 case. The causes of wounds included 7 cases of electrical burns, 1 case of thermal burn, 2 cases of scar release and excision due to scar contraction after burns, 1 case of scar ulcer at the amputation stump after severe burns, and 1 case of skin necrosis after a traffic accident injury. The size of defects after debridement ranged from 7.0 cm×4.0 cm to 18.0 cm×10.0 cm. According to the defect size, 11 cases were repaired with unilateral paraumbilical perforator flaps centered on the umbilicus, among which 3 cases with larger defects were designed as “L”-shaped flaps along the lateral and lower ends of the perforator; the donor sites were directly closed. One case with extensive defect after scar excision and release was repaired with bilateral expanded paraumbilical perforator flaps; the donor sites were repaired with autologous split-thickness skin grafts. The size of flaps ranged from 9.0 cm×4.0 cm to 20.0 cm×11.0 cm. Postoperatively, analgesia and sedation were provided, and the blood supply of the flaps was observed. Results All operations were successfully completed. The operation time was 4-7 hours, with an average of 5.0 hours. After postoperative analgesia and sedation, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain in all children was less than or equal to 3, and there was no non-cooperation due to pain. All flaps and skin grafts survived completely, and the wounds healed by first intention. Ten children underwent 1-4 times of flap de-fatting, finger separation, and trimming. All children were followed up 6-48 months (mean, 26.6 months). No obvious swelling of the flaps occurred, and the texture was soft. At last follow-up, among the 6 children with upper limb defects, 2 had upper limb function grade Ⅳ and 4 had upper limb function grade Ⅴ according to the Carroll upper limb function assessment method. The 4 children with lower limb defects had no limitation of joint movement. The neck flexion and rotation in the 1 child with neck defect significantly improved when compared with that before operation. The 1 child with residual ulcer at the amputation stump could wear a prosthesis and move without limitation, and no new ulcer occurred. Linear scars were left at the donor sites, and no abdominal wall hernia was formed. ConclusionThe free paraumbilical perforator flap has abundant blood supply and can be harvested in large size. It can be used to repair skin and soft tissue defects in children and has the advantages of short operation time, minimal injury, high safety, and minimal impact on the growth and development of children.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical application of the forearm interosseous dorsal artery perforator sublobe flaps in repairing two wounds in dorsal hand or wrist. MethodsBetween October 2009 and October 2012, 12 patients with two wounds in the dorsal hand or wrist were included in the study. There were 4 cases of skin defects (grade IV) and bone exposure caused by machine injury, 3 cases of skin defects with bone and tendon exposure caused by traffic accident, and 3 cases of skin defect and tendon exposure caused by crash injury of heavy object, with a duration of 3-12 hours (mean, 6 hours) between injury and admission; defects in the wrist and tendon exposure were caused by tumor resection in 2 cases. Four cases had metacarpal fractures. The size of larger skin and soft tissue defects ranged from 4.0 cm×3.5 cm to 5.0 cm×3.0 cm, and the size of smaller defects was from 2.5 cm×2.0 cm to 4.0 cm×3.0 cm. The flap size was from 6 cm×4 cm to 8 cm×3 cm and 3.0 cm×2.5 cm to 5.0 cm×3.0 cm. The donor sites were directly sutured or repaired with free skin graft. ResultsAll the flaps survived, and wound healed in first stage. All the cases were followed up 6-36 months (mean, 20 months). The flaps had good color and texture. Three cases underwent secondary surgery of thinning the flaps. At last follow-up, two-point discrimination of flaps was 10-14 mm, 12 mm on average. According to function standard for evaluation of upper extremity with total active motion of the fingers from the Hand Surgery Society of Chinese Medical Association, the results were excellent in 10 cases, and good in 2 cases. ConclusionForearm interosseous dorsal artery perforators sublobe flaps can be used to repair two wounds in the dorsal hand or wrist simultaneously, and it has the advantages of simple operation, less injury at donor site, and reliable blood supply.
【Abstract】 Objective To investigate the operative techniques and cl inical results of repairing the soft tissue defectsof forearm and hand with free peroneal perforator-based sural neurofasciocutaneous flap. Methods From May 2006 toJanuary 2007, 6 patients including 5 males and 1 female were treated. Their ages ranged from 22 years to 51 years. They were injured by motor vehicle accidents (2 cases), or crushed by machines (4 cases), with skin defect of hand in 1 case, skin defect of hand associated with tendon injuries and metacarpal fractures in 2 cases, skin defect of forearm in 2 cases, and forearm skin defects with fractures of radius and ulna in 1 case. The areas of soft tissue defect ranged from 16 cm × 7 cm to 24 cm × 10 cm. The debridement and the primary treatment to tendons or bones were performed on emergency. And free flaps were transplanted when the wound areas were stable at 4 to 7 days after the emergent treatment. During the operation, the flaps were designed along the axis of the sural nerve nutrient vessels according to the shape and size of the soft tissue defects, with the peroneal perforator above the lateral malleolus as the pedicle and along with a part of the peroneal artery for vascula anastomosis. Then the flaps were harvested and transferred to the reci pient sites with the peroneal vartey anastomosed to the radial (or ulnar) artery and the peroneal veins to one of the radial (or ulnar) veins and the cephal ic vein, respectively. The flap size ranged from 18 cm × 8 cm to 25 cm × 12 cm. The donor areas were closed by skin grafts. Results The 5 flaps survived after the surgery. Partial inadequate venous return and distal superficial necrosis happened in only 1 case, which also got secondary heal ing by changing dressing and anti-infective therapy. The donor sites reached primary heal ing completely. The followed-up in all the patients for 6 to 13 months revealed that the appearance and function of the flaps were all satisfactory, and no influence on ambulation of donor site was found. Conclusion Peroneal perforator-based sural neurofasciocutaneous flap has the advantages of favourable appearance, constant vascular pedicle, rel iable blood supply, large size of elevation and minor influence on the donor site. And the free transfer of this flap is an ideal procedure to repair the large soft tissue defects of forearm and hand.
Objective To summarize the effectiveness of the temporal island flap pedicled with the perforating branch of zygomatic orbital artery for repairing defects after periocular malignant tumor resection. Methods Between January 2015 and December 2020, 15 patients with periocular malignant tumors were treated. There were 5 males and 10 females with an average age of 62 years (range, 40-75 years). There were 12 cases of basal cell carcinoma and 3 cases of squamous carcinoma. The disease duration ranged from 5 months to 10 years (median, 2 years). The size of tumors ranged from 1.0 cm×0.8 cm to 2.5 cm×1.5 cm, without tarsal plate invasion. After extensive resection of the tumors, the left defects in size of 2.0 cm×1.5 cm to 3.5 cm×2.0 cm were repaired with the temporal island flap pedicled with the perforating branch of zygomatic orbital artery via subcutaneous tunnel. The size of the flaps ranged from 3.0 cm×1.5 cm to 5.0 cm×2.0 cm. The donor sites were separated subcutaneously and sutured directly. Results All flaps survived after operation and the wounds healed by first intention. The incisions at donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6-24 months (median, 11 months). The flaps were not obviously bloated, the texture and color were basically the same as the surrounding normal skin, and the scars at recipient sites were not obviously. There was no complication such as ptosis, ectropion, or incomplete closure of the eyelids and recurrence of tumor during follow-up. Conclusion The temporal island flap pedicled with the perforating branch of zygomatic orbital artery can repair the defects after periorbital malignant tumors resection and has the advantages of reliable blood supply, flexible design, and good morphology and function.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the wrap-around great toe flap combined with medial plantar artery perforator flap (MPAP) for repairing the completely degloved fingers. Methods Between February 2018 and December 2019, 12 patients with the completely degloved fingers caused by machine strangulation were admitted. There were 9 males and 3 females with a median age of 32 years (range, 18-42 years). The injured finger was index finger in 7 cases, middle finger in 3 cases, and ring finger in 2 cases. The skin was avulsed from the metacarpophalangeal joint level, with the intact tendon and joint. The interval between injury and admission was 1-8 hours (mean, 5 hours). All fingers were taken debridement during the emergency operation. The size of the skin defect ranged from 8.0 cm×5.0 cm to 12.0 cm×7.5 cm. After flap thinning, the wrap-around great toe flap (8.0 m×2.0 cm-12.0 cm×3.5 cm) and MPAP (8.0 cm×4.0 cm-12.0 cm×5.5 cm) were used to repair the degloved finger. The donor sites were repaired with the full-thickness skin graft or the flap. Results All flaps and skin grafts survived completely without significant complications and the wounds at recipient and donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 12-16 months (mean, 14 months). The texture, appearance, and color of the affected fingers were close to those of normal fingers, and the nails grew normally. At last follow-up, the mean two-point discrimination of the flap was 9 mm (range, 8-10 mm), and the sensation of the injured finger recovered to S3-S4. And 10 cases were rated as excellent and 2 cases as good according to the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ). There was no complication such as pain from walking or skin ulceration at the donor site. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score was excellent in 9 cases and good in 3 cases. Conclusion Treating for the completely degloved fingers, the wrap-around great toe flap combined with MPAP can obtain good effectiveness in the respect of the sensation, function, and appearance.
ObjectiveTo investigate effectiveness of anteromedial thigh perforator flap in repair of soft tissue defects of lower limbs.MethodsBetween January 2015 and October 2018, 7 patients with soft tissue defects of the lower limbs were repaired with the anteromedial thigh perforator flaps. The patients were males, aged 8-30 years (median, 23 years). There were 5 cases of traffic accident injuries (the time from injury to admission was 1-4 hours, with an average of 1.5 hours), 1 case of scar formation after traffic accident, and 1 case of scar deformity after burn. The defect located in calf in 5 cases, foot in 1 case, and thigh in 1 case. The area of soft tissue defects ranged from 12 cm×4 cm to 21 cm×7 cm; and the area of flaps ranged from 14 cm×5 cm to 24 cm×8 cm. The donor sites were sutured directly.ResultsThe flaps survived completely after operation in 6 cases, and the wounds healed by the first intention; the partial necrosis of flap occurred and healed after skin graft repair in 1 case. One incision partially ruptured in the donor site and healed after dressing change; the other incisions healed by the first intetion. All patients were followed up 6 months to 2 years with an average of 9 months. Except 1 case complained of edema of the flap, the other patients had good shape, good color, and no swelling.ConclusionFor patients with soft tissue defects of lower limbs that cannot be repaired with anterolateral thigh perforator flap, the anteromedial thigh perforator flap can be used for good results.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of pharmacologic delay with pioglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) agonist, on extended perforator flap survival in a rat model. MethodsSeventy male Sprague Dawley rats, weighing 250-300 g, were randomly divided into control group (n=35) and experimental group (n=35). A three-territory flap was made, including two choke zones. Pioglitazone was dissolved in 1.5 mL saline. Oral doses of pioglitazone[10 mg/(kg·d)] was given by gavaged for 5 days in the experimental group, while the same volume of saline was given in the control group at same time point. After 7 days, the flap survival area was measured and angiographic diagnosis was made. The tissue samples were harvested from choke zone Ⅱ for histological study and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression detection by immunohistochemical staining. The content of nitric oxide (NO) in choke zones I and Ⅱ was measured at immediate, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after operation. ResultsThe flap general change of 2 groups was similar. Varying degrees of necrosis occurred with the extension of time in 2 groups. At 7 days after operation, the flap survival rate was 87.73%±3.25% in the experimental group and 76.07%±2.92% in the control group, showing a significant difference (t=-10.338, P=0.000). The number of true anastomosis in choke zones I and Ⅱ was 5.40±1.14 and 3.00±0.71 in the experimental group, and was 3.20±0.84 and 0.80±0.84 in the control group respectively, showing significant differences between the 2 groups (t=-3.479, P=0.008;t=-4.491, P=0.002). The microvessel density and the expression of VEGF in choke zone Ⅱ of experimental group were (33.16±7.73)/mm2 and 4 368.80±458.23, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of control group[(23.29±5.91)/mm2 and 2 241.24±554.43] (t=5.073, P=0.000;t=-14.789, P=0.000). The content of NO in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group at other time points (P<0.05) except for at immediate after operation. ConclusionPharmacologic delay with pioglitazone can improve extended perforator flap viability through increasing ischemia-induced angiogenesis and choke vessels vasodilation in rat models.
Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of medial sural artery perforator flap in the repair of small and medium size skin and soft tissue defects in the ipsilateral lower extremities. Methods The clinical data of patients with small and medium area skin and soft tissue defects of lower limbs admitted to Restorative and Reconstructive Department, NO.1 Orthopedics Hospital of Chengdu between September 2021 and January 2023 was retrospectively analyzed. Basic information of patients was collected. The anatomical characteristics, application methods, and clinical results of the flap were recorded after operation, and the comprehensive efficacy evaluation table of the flap was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy at the last follow-up. Results A total of 13 patients were included. There were 12 males and 1 female. A total of 19 perforating branches of medial sural artery were found in the 13 cases, with an average of 1.46 perforating branches. The incision range of the flap was 5.5 cm×3.5 cm?13.5 cm×5.0 cm. Anterograde pedicle metastasis occurred in 3 cases and free transplantation occurred in 10 cases; mosaic flaps were used in 5 cases, lobed flaps in 1 case, and conventional perforator flaps in the remaining 7 cases. All the flaps survived successfully. All the 13 patients were followed up for 4-15 months, with an average of (10.38±3.64) months. The comprehensive score of flap efficacy was 77-92 points, with an average of (86.76±4.45) points. Among them, 5 cases were excellent, 8 cases were good, and the excellent and good rate was 100%. Conclusion The multifunctional features and flexible use of medial sural artery perforator flap increase the repair strategy of small and medium-sized wounds of the ipsilateral lower limbs, and can obtain better aesthetic repair results.
ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of using indocyanine green (ICG) angiography to detect brachial artery perforators, and the clinical application of brachial artery perforator propeller (BAPP) flaps to repair soft tissue defects of the trunk and upper limbs.MethodsBetween August 2016 and February 2019, ICG angiography was used to detect the perforating vessels of the brachial artery muscle septum, and the BAPP flaps were cut out with the detected perforating vessels as the pedicle to repair 19 cases of trunk and upper limb soft tissue defects. There were 12 males and 7 females, with an average age of 28.6 years (range, 5-66 years). Etiologies included the post-burn scar in 10 cases, soft-tissue sarcoma in 5 cases, congenital melanocytic nevi in 2 cases, chronic chest wall ulcer in 1 case, and malignant melanoma in 1 case. Defects located in axilla in 8 cases, chest wall in 4 cases, elbow in 5 cases, and shoulder in 2 cases. The area of the defect ranged from 15 cm×3 cm to 20 cm×8 cm. Pre-transfer tissue expansion was used in 11 patients. Thirteen flaps were pedicled with 1 perforator vessel, and 6 flaps were pedicled with 2 perforator vessels. The length of the vascular pedicle was 2.5-4.5 cm, with an average of 3.08 cm. The area of the skin flap ranged from 11 cm×5 cm to 22 cm×10 cm. The flap rotation angle was 110° in 1 case, 120° in 1 case, and 180° in 17 cases. Except for one donor site repaired by skin graft, the other donor sites were directly sutured.ResultsA total of 24 perforating vessels of the brachial artery muscle septum were detected by ICG angiography, 26 were identified during the operation, with an accuracy rate of 92.31%. Eighteen flaps survived without arteriovenous crisis. Venous congestion was observed in the distal 3-cm of one flap and the flap survived after conservative management. Intraoperative analysis showed that the blood perfusion of the distal 4-cm of one flap was poor, the relative value was less than 32%, the flap survived after removing the poor perfusion area. All the patients were followed up 3 to 23 months (mean, 8.6 months). The color and texture of the flap were similar to those of the recipient area. Flap debulking was not needed in all patients owing to the thinness of the flap. The contracture symptoms of patients with scar contracture on the medial of the elbow joint and axilla were significantly improved; a patient with malignant melanoma underwent tumor resection at 1 year and 5 months after operation due to tumor recurrence, and additional surgery was done to remove the recurrent tumor. No tumor recurrence was found in other patients.ConclusionThe ICG angiography technique can be used to explore the perforating vessels of the brachial artery muscle septum. The BAPP flap pedicled with the perforating vessels can be used for the repair of skin and soft tissue defects in the chest wall, axilla, shoulder, and elbow joint.
Objective To investigate the accuracy and reliability of augmented reality (AR) technique in locating the perforating vessels of the posterior tibial artery during the repair of soft tissue defects of the lower limbs with the posterior tibial artery perforator flap. Methods Between June 2019 and June 2022, the posterior tibial artery perforator flap was used to repair the skin and soft tissue defects around the ankle in 10 cases. There were 7 males and 3 females with an average age of 53.7 years (mean, 33-69 years). The injury was caused by traffic accident in 5 cases, bruising by heavy weight in 4 cases, and machine injury in 1 case. The size of wound ranged from 5 cm×3 cm to 14 cm×7 cm. The interval between injury and operation was 7-24 days (mean, 12.8 days). The CT angiography of lower limbs before operation was performed and the data was used to reconstruct the three-dimensional images of perforating vessels and bones with Mimics software. The above images were projected and superimposed on the surface of the affected limb using AR technology, and the skin flap was designed and resected with precise positioning. The size of the flap ranged from 6 cm×4 cm to 15 cm×8 cm. The donor site was sutured directly or repaired with skin graft. Results The 1-4 perforator branches of posterior tibial artery (mean, 3.4 perforator branches) in 10 patients were located by AR technique before operation. The location of perforator vessels during operation was basically consistent with that of AR before operation. The distance between the two locations ranged from 0 to 16 mm, with an average of 12.2 mm. The flap was successfully harvested and repaired according to the preoperative design. Nine flaps survived without vascular crisis. The local infection of skin graft occurred in 2 cases and the necrosis of the distal edge of the flap in 1 case, which healed after dressing change. The other skin grafts survived, and the incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6-12 months, with an average of 10.3 months. The flap was soft without obvious scar hyperplasia and contracture. At last follow-up, according to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Association (AOFAS) score, the ankle function was excellent in 8 cases, good in 1 case, and poor in 1 case. Conclusion AR technique can be used to determine the location of perforator vessels in the preoperative planning of the posterior tibial artery perforator flap, which can reduce the risk of flap necrosis, and the operation is simple.