Prophylactic plating of the donor site of osteocutaneous radial forearm flaps.
We carried out a retrospective study of fracture morbidity of radial forearm osteocutaneous donor sites. During a period of three-and-a-half years, 12 patients had had composite flaps taken, and 5 of them had subsequently fractured the radius. We then elected to plate the radius prophylactically and found that over a period of just over two years, none of the 8 patients who had had prophylactic plating at the original harvesting operation had subsequently fractured the radius.
Nuñez
V A
VA
St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, Sussex.
Pike
J
J
Avery
C
C
Rosson
J W
JW
Johnson
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001860:Bone Plates; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011884:Radius / Q000601:surgery; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000009:adverse effects