Use of distally pedicled sural fasciocutaneous cross-leg flap in severe foot and ankle trauma : A safe alternative to microsurgery in very young children

• Published in: Annals of plastic surgery Vol. 55; no. 4; pp. 374 - 377
• Main Authors: GÖZÜ, Aydin, ÖZYIGIT, Türker, ÖZSOY, Zafer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01-10-2005
• Subjects: Ankle Injuries - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Fascia - transplantation; Female; Foot Injuries - surgery; Humans; Injury Severity Score; Male; Medical sciences; Microsurgery - adverse effects; Microsurgery - methods; Muscle, Skeletal - transplantation; Skin Transplantation - methods; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgical Flaps; Human; Fasciocutaneous flap; Plastic surgery; Crossed flap; Trauma; Leg; Foot; Ankle; Case study; Ankle joint; Treatment; Microsurgery; Graft; Severe; Child
• ISSN: 0148-7043; 1536-3708
• DOI: 10.1097/01.sap.0000178808.08206.7f

Advances in reconstructive microsurgery have enabled us to make use of many flap alternatives in severe lower-extremity trauma, and traditional cross-leg flaps for wound coverage have been replaced in most centers by free-tissue transfers. But free-flap surgery is still a challenging area in very young pediatric populations because of technical difficulties with considerable drawbacks. Six children with severe foot and ankle trauma were presented. Distally based sural fasciocutaneous cross-leg flaps were carried out to cover the defects, with no complications. Because of its easy dissection and reliable pedicle without compromising the major vessels, this procedure may be a safe choice among the other cross-leg flap alternatives when microsurgery is not considered.