Free vascularized leg perforator flap for the wounds of the extremities

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the locating effects of a portable ultrasound for leg perforator flaps,and the clinical effects of leg perforator flaps for the wounds of the extremities.Methods Since December 2009 to March 2011,thirty-one cases of soft tissue defects of the extremities were treated with free vascularized leg perforator flaps in our center.A portable ultrasound were used for the locating of the perforator arteries of the leg before the operations.These flaps include 24 cases of the fibular artery perforator flaps (4 with simultaneous fibula transfer),three cases of the posterior tibia artery perforator flap,two cases of the medial gastrocnemius artery perforator flap,and 2 cases of the lateral gastrocnemius artery perforator flap.The flap size ranged from 15.0 cm × 8.0 cm to 1.0 cm × 1.5 cm.The caliber diameter of the perforator artery ranged from 0.2 mm to 1.8 mm.The wounds included 21 cases of the hand,five cases of the forearm,and 5 cases of the leg.Results The coincidence rate intraoperatively of the portable ultrasound was 96.8％.All the flaps survived and the wounds healed uneventfully.The donor site of the flaps were either closed directly or closed with partial split-thickness skin graft.Conclusion The portable ultrasound is an effective,reliable and accurate instrument for locating the leg perforator flaps.The leg perforator flaps have the advantages of convenient harvest,satisfactory thickness,less donor site morbidity,and high survival rate. Key words: Leg; Perforator flaps; Transfer; Trauma; Microsurgical operation