• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.100-104
• /
• 2005

A soft tissue defect of the lower leg or foot presents a challenging problem. Reconstructive surgeon should be armed at all points of wound site, tendon and bone exposure, injury of major vessel and so on in the lower limb. We reconstructed the defects of lower legs and feet of 25 patients between February, 1997 and December, 2003. Applying reversed adipofascial flap with skin graft on a soft tissue defect of the lower leg or foot is challenging. We did a comparative study of 25 reversed adipofascial flaps with 51 free flaps. All 25 cases of reverse adpofascial flap reconstruction were successful except for a partial loss of skin graft in 3 occasions. The reversed adipofascial flap had a merit of a short operation time and hositalization, a high success rate and minimum complications. Besides major vessels in the lower leg are better preserved and donor morbidity is minimal. However, the flap is unmerited in reconstructing a hug hallowed defect and in the leg with poor blood circulation and once previous surgery. The operators may consider the feasible substitution of reversed adipofascial flap for free flap before applying in the lower leg.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.105-108
• /
• 2006

Open calcaneal fractures are potentially devastating hindfoot injuries, in which the status of soft tissue envelope is very important. The reversed adipofascial flap has a merit of simplicity and minimal complication compared to free tissue transfer. We report of a case of open calcaneal fracture with soft tissue defect of hindfoot, which was successfully treated with reversed adipofascial flap.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.93-99
• /
• 2005

In spite of proper maneuver of total knee replacement arthroplasty, some patients suffer from skin necrosis just above the implant. From Mar. 2000 to Jan. 2004, the authors performed reconstruction of knee skin defects after total knee replacement athroplasty. Total 6 cases of flap surgery were performed and patients ranged between 43-years-old to 82-years-old. Rectus femoris perforator based reversed adipofascial flaps were used in 2 cases, medial gastrocnemius muscular island flaps were used in 2 cases and sural artery based on adipofascial rotation flap was used in 1 case. One patient with extended necrosis underwent reconstruction with dual flaps of sural artery based adipofascial rotation flap and medial gastrocnemius muscular island flap. There were no distinctive complication needing additional procedure in all cases during the long term follow up. Reconstruction of necrosis following total knee replacement arthroplasty had several characteristics different from simple knee defect. The patients might have the history of long term steroid usages, excessive skin tension due to implants, underlying disease such as diabetes, rheumatoid disease, and etc. In addition, the early ambulation is mandatory in these patients of total knee replacement arthroplasty. With regards to these special considerations, a single stage and reliable operation must be needed. The authors introduce various reconstruction methods and algorithm that may aid easy decision making.