title: Radical thinning of the pedicle of a gastrocnemius musculocutaneous flap.
abstract: Aggressive thinning of the muscle from the pedicle of a gastrocnemius musculocutaneous flap can change the nature of that pedicle radically. Instead of being bulky and causing contour deformity, the pedicle is reduced to a vascular leash that has virtually no effect on contour at all. Radical thinning of this type was performed on the pedicle of a medial gastrocnemius flap in one patient and on a lateral gastrocnemius flap in another. Both flaps survived, suggesting that such aggressive muscle thinning is feasible and that a more moderate degree of muscle thinning, which is all that most flaps probably require, entails only minimal risk.
authors.affiliation: Section of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kroll
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014022:Tissue Survival; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot