title: Distal vascular pedicle-hemisoleus to tibial length ratio as a main predictive index in preoperative flap planning.
abstract: The management of severe compound tibial fractures is aimed at obtaining osseous consolidation, proper cutaneous and muscular cover, absence of infection and restoration of limb function. A knowledge of the cutaneous and muscular vascularisation allows the surgeons to use many flaps in a rational and predictable manner. One of the most commonly used flaps is the soleus muscular flap. This may be used as a proximally or distally based muscular flap and the use of a hemisoleus flap has also been described. A morphometric analysis of the relation between tibial length and soleus vascular pattern provides a simple and reliable method for planning this flap preoperatively. The study was performed on fresh and preserved cadavers.
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000379:methods; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*