Axial muscle and myocutaneous flaps: a recent concept in wound closure.
Until the last decade, the greatest advances in reconstructive surgery have been skin grafting and the advent of pedicle flaps. More recently a new understanding of the discrete vascular anatomy of the skin and other composite tissues has enabled the transfer of these tissues with far more reliability, either locally or--using microvascular techniques--to a distance. The axial and random concept of blood supply of flaps will be outlined. A brief historical background of the development of axial flaps is included. A synopsis of the anatomy, uses and limitations of the commonly used and proven muscle and myocutaneous flaps in our experience is reported. In the final discussion, a new and simple classification of wound closure is proposed which encompasses all the recent developments in this field.
D001365:Axilla / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region / Q000601:surgery; D012782:Shoulder / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013703:Temporal Muscle / Q000601:surgery