Bony and soft tissue reconstruction and rehabilitation following traumatic hemipelvectomy, exsanguination and cardiac arrest.

Abstract

Survival following traumatic hemipelvectomy in the child with subsequent local flap coverage of wounds has been previously described. The use of axial skin flaps and thigh and rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flaps for coverage of hemipelvectomy defects following tumor extirpation has also been noted in the literature. The use of muscle flaps to salvage otherwise nonvital bone and to eradicate osteomyelitis with subsequent wound closure has also been thoroughly demonstrated both clinically and experimentally. The use of musculocutaneous flaps to revascularize otherwise nonviable bone of the pelvis and thus maintain the pelvic girdle integrity, however, has not to our knowledge been previously reported. We recently had an opportunity to treat such a case, which we herein describe.