• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 1994

Pulp and palm of the hand and heel of the sole are anatomically unique. Satisfactory reconstruction of these areas presents the plastic surgeon with many challenges and requires durable and sensible skin coverage, minimal donor morbidity and reliable operative procedure. We presents 7 clinical cases of sensate instep free flap transfer in this paper during the last 2 years. Three cases were soft tissue defects due to crushing and avulsion injury on the pulp of finger. 1 case was unstable scar and redundant flap after reconstruction of soft tissue dect of palm and 1 case was contracture of first web of hand. One case was a soft tissue defect due to avulsion injury on heel. Lastly, one case was chronic osteomyelitis with open wound on lateral malleolar area. Follow-up period ranged from 3 months to 2 years. Through the whole follow-up period, all flaps were viable and durable to persistant stress or weight bearing and were sensible enough to porotect the recocstructed area from injuries and maintain functions. In conclusions, the instep free flap should be considered as a valuable tool in reconstruction of hand and extremity requiring durability and sensation.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2009

Purpose: The heterodigital or homodigital artery island flap is a popular method of reconstruction for finger defects. Sometimes, digital artery island flap has some disadvantages such as postoperative flap edema, congestion, and partial necrosis of the flap margin. However, we could decrease these disadvantages by means of venous superdrainage. The aim of this study is to report usefulness and postoperative results of venous supercharging digital artery island flaps for finger reconstruction. Methods: From March of 2005 to March of 2008, a total of eight patients with soft tissue defects of the finger underwent venous supercharging digital island flap transfer. Briefly, the flap is harvested along with dorsal vein that is then anastomosed to a recipient vein in an end - to - end fashion, after flap transfer and insetting. Using this technique, eight patients were operated on, ranging in age 23 to 52 years. Results: All the flaps survived with a success rate of 100 percent, thus fully satisfying the reconstructive requirements. No postoperative flap congestion was recognized, obviating the need to take any measures for venous engorgement, such as suture removal. Among 8 cases, it was possible to make an long - term and follow - up observation more than 6 months. In these cases, the fact that light touches and temperature sensations can be detected in all the flaps. Cold intolerance and hyperesthesia were not seen in our series. Conclusion: Providing good harmony with conventional methods and microsurgery, inclusion of a vein with the heterodigital and homodigital artery island flap allows a more reliable and safer reconstructive choice for finger defects. The venous supercharged island flap is a reliable flap with a consistent arterial structure, and with its augmented venous drainage, it is more reliable, providing single - stage reconstruction of adjacent finger defects, including the fingertip.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.220-229
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• 2008

Purpose: The present study was aimed to examine the effect of acellular dermal matrix ($AlloDerm^{(R)}$) grafted to the experimental tissue defect on tissue regeneration. Materials and Methods: Male albino rabbits were used. Soft tissue defects were prepared in the external abdominal oblique muscle. The animals were then divided into 3 groups by the graft material used: no graft, autogenous dermis graft, and $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ graft. The healing sites were histologically examined at weeks 4 and 8 after the graft. In another series, critical sized defects with 8-mm diameter were prepared in the right and left iliac bones. The animals were then divided into 5 groups: no graft, grafted with autogenous iliac bone, $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ graft, $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ graft impregnated with rhBMP-2, and $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ graft with rhTGF-${\beta}1$. The healing sites of bone defect were investigated with radiologic densitometry and histological evaluation at weeks 4 and 8 after the graft. Results: In the soft tissue defect, normal healing was seen in the group of no graft. Inflammatory cells and foreign body reactions were observed in the group of autogenous dermis graft, and the migration of fibroblasts and the formation of vessels into the collagen fibers were observed in the group of $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ graft. In the bone defect, the site of bone defect was healed by fibrous tissues in the group of no graft. The marked radiopacity and good regeneration were seen in the group of autogenous bone graft. There remained the traces of $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ with no satisfactory results in the group of $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ graft. In the groups of the $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ graft with rhBMP-2 or rhTGF-${\beta}1$, there were numerous osteoblasts in the boundary of the adjacent bone which was closely approximated to the $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ with regeneration features. However, the fibrous capsule also remained as in the group of $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ graft, which separated the $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ and the adjacent bone. Conclusions: These results suggest that $AlloDerm^{(R)}$ can be useful to substitute the autogenous dermis in the soft tissue defect. However, it may not be useful as a bone graft material or a carrier, since the bone defect was not completely healed by the bony tissue, regardless of the presence of osteogenic factors like rhBMP-2 or rhTGF-${\beta}1$.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.172-181
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• 2023

Purpose: To investigate the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) with collagen matrix (CM) for increasing gingival thickness. Materials and Methods: In five mongrel dogs, bilateral gingival defects were surgically made on the maxillary canines. After two months, either a subepithelial connective tissue graft (group SCTG) or CM with EGF (0.1 ug/ml, group EGF) was grafted, and the flap was coronally positioned to cover the graft materials. The animals were sacrificed after three months. Intraoral scanning was performed for soft tissue analysis. Histologic and histomorphometric analyses were performed. Result: Two animals exhibited wound dehiscence during the healing phase, leaving three for analysis. No statistically significant difference was found in soft tissue changes (P>0.05). The level of gingival margin (GM) increased in both groups (1.02±0.74 mm in group SCTG vs. 1.24±0.83 mm in group EGF). Linear increases at the GM pre-augmentation in the soft tissue profile were 1.08±0.58 mm in group SCTG and 0.96±0.73 mm in group EGF. Histomorphometric parameters (keratinized tissue height, tissue thickness, and rete peg density) were not significantly different between the groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: EGF loaded onto CM led to comparable gingival phenotype enhancement to SCTG.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.367-375
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• 2012

Background The anterolateral thigh (ALT) perforator flap has become a popular option for treating soft tissue defects of lower extremity reconstruction and can be combined with a segment of the vastus lateralis muscle. We present a comparison of the use of the ALT fasciocutaneous (ALT-FC) and myocutaneous flaps. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients in whom free-tissue transfer was performed between 2005 and 2011 for the reconstruction of lower extremity soft-tissue defects. Twenty-four patients were divided into two groups: reconstruction using an ALT-FC flap (12 cases) and reconstruction using a vastus lateralis myocutaneous (VL-MC) flap (12 cases). Postoperative complications, functional results, cosmetic results, and donor-site morbidities were studied. Results Complete flap survival was 100% in both groups. A flap complication was noted in one case (marginal dehiscence) of the ALT-FC group, and no complications were noted in the VL-MC group. In both groups, one case of partial skin graft loss occurred at the donor site, and debulking surgeries were needed for two cases. There were no significant differences in the mean scores for either functional or cosmetic outcomes in either group. Conclusions The VL-MC flap is able to fill occasional dead space and has comparable survival rates to ALT-FC with minimal donor-site morbidity. Additionally, the VL-MC flap is easily elevated without myocutaneous perforator injury.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.835-838
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• 2010

Purpose: Reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the distal lower leg, especially in the distal third, largely depends on free tissue transfer and local fasciocutaneous flaps. But several local muscle flaps have also been proposed as useful alternative reconstructive manner. In this report, the authors present the successful use of the flexor digitorum longus muscle flaps in the distal lower leg reconstruction. Methods: Case 1: An 81-year-old woman with a dog bite wound in the left distal lower leg was admitted. She had a $10{\times}8\;cm$ wound with tibial exposure along the medial aspect of the leg. Soft tissue reconstruction with a flexor digitorum longus muscle flap and a split-thickness skin graft was performed. Case 2: A 77-year-old woman had a squamous cell carcinoma in the right distal lower leg. After wide excision, a $5{\times}4\;cm$ wound was developed with exposure of the tibia. The flexor digitorum longus muscle flap was transposed and covered with a split-thickness skin graft. Results: The flexor digitorum longus muscle flaps were shown to be useful to cover tibial defects in the distal lower leg. During the follow-up period, no significant donor site morbidity was found. Conclusion: The flexor digitorum longus muscle flap can be used to cover the exposed distal tibia, especially when a free tissue transfer is not an option. The relative ease of dissection and minimal functional deficits were the major advantages of this flap, while the extent of reach into the lower third has a limitation.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.176-180
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• 2019

Post-traumatic soft tissue defects sometimes require sequential flap coverage to achieve complete healing. In the era of propeller flaps, which were developed to reduce donor site morbidity, Feng et al. introduced the concept of the free-style puzzle flap, in which a previously harvested flap becomes its own donor site by recycling the perforator. However, when a perforator cannot be found with a Doppler device, we suggest performing a new type of flap, the flip-flap puzzle flap, which combines two concepts: the free-style puzzle flap and the flip-flap flap described by Voche et al. in the 1990s. We present the cases of three patients who achieved complete healing through this procedure.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2007

Purpose: The venous flap is used as an alternative method to the standard free flap for the management of small and thin soft tissue defects. Especially, the venous flap has advantages of being thin, easy harvest and various donor sites, as well as it having lower morbidity. Yet their clinical applications have been limited by their unstable postoperative course and also by their complications such as partial necrosis. The aim of this study is to extend the clinical indications of venous flaps with using various methods. Methods: From May 2005 to March 2006, total of 19 patients(21 cases) underwent various venous flaps for soft tissue defects as a result of trauma(15 cases), facial skin cancer(3 cases), chronic ulcer(1 case) and surgical wound for congenital anomaly(2 cases). The arterialized venous free flap were applied in 18 cases, the pure venous free flap was applied in 1 case and the pure venous pedicled flap were applied in 2 cases. Among them, two flow-through arterialized venous free flaps were applied that used the great saphenous vein to reconstructed major arteries as well as the injured skin and soft tissues in the arm. All the flap were harvested from the volar wrist(11 cases), dorsum of foot(5 cases), thenar(2 cases), and medial thigh(3 cases). Results: The sizes of the flap ranged from $0.75cm^2$ to $264cm^2$(mean size: $40.06cm^2$). The follow-up period ranged from two to twelve months. In the majority of cases, we obtained satisfying results, which was the excellent reconstruction of skin and soft tissue defects and especially in the case of limb salvage, replantation and cancer reconstruction. However, there were 5 cases of partial necrosis and 2 cases of complete failure. The donor sites were closed primarily in 7 cases and wound closure with skin graft were in 14 cases. Conclusion: We conclude that the venous flap will not only be useful for reconstruction of small defect in the hand and foot, but also be useful for various other clinical indications.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.337-340
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• 2021

Full-thickness nasal tip reconstruction is a challenging process that requires provision of ample skin and soft tissue, and intricate cartilage structure that maintains its architecture in the long term. In this report, we describe reconstruction of a full-thickness nasal tip and ala defect using a posterior auricular artery perforator based chondrocutaneous free flap. The flap consisted of two lay ers of skin covering conchal cartilage, and was based on a perforating branch of the posterior auricular artery. A superficial vein was secured at the posterior margin. The donor perforator was anastomosed to a perforating branch of the lateral nasal artery. The superficial vein was connected to a superficial vein of the surrounding soft tissue. The donor healed well after primary closure. The flap survived without complications, and the contour of the nasal rim was sustained at follow-up 6 months later. As opposed to combined composite reconstructions using a free cartilage graft together with a small free flap or pedicled nasolabial flap, the posterior auricular artery perforator free flap encompasses all required tissue types, and is similar in contour to the alar area. This flap is a useful option in single-stage reconstruction of nasal composite defects.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.165-174
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• 1998

Large soft tissue defect of the ankle and foot can present a difficult reconstructive problem to the surgeon. Local musculocutaneous, local fasciocutaneous or free flap is usually the first choice for providing soft tissue coverage. However, in certain situations, local flaps from the same leg and free flap may not be suitable. These include extensive soft tissue injury, where no suitable recipient vessels can be found, previous local fasciocutaneous flap or free flap failure. In such cases, we have utilized the septocutaneous(fasciocutaneous) branch flap of posterior tibial artery from the opposite healthy limb. We present 5 cases of cross leg flaps, which have been modernized with current understanding of vascular anatomy and current fixation technology. All cross leg flaps were based on the axial blood supply of the fasciocutanous branch of the posterior tibial artery. Cross-clamping with bowel clamp was used to create intermittent periods of ischemia. Adjacent lower extremity joints were exercised during the periods of attachment. The results have been quite encouraging. We conclude that the cross leg flap using septocutaneous flap and cast immobilization can be successfully and expeditiously used to cover defects of the ante and foot.