title: [Repairing of soft tissue defect in leg by free vascularized thoracoumbilical flap with reversed flow].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical effect of free vascularized thoracoumbilical flap with reversal flow in repairing the soft tissue defect in leg with tibia exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four casting mould specimens of leg arteries were studied firstly. Then 25 cases with soft tissue defect and tibia exposure in the proximal-middle segment of leg were adopted in this study. Among them, 18 cases had long distance thrombosis of the anterior tibial vessels or posterior tibial vessels due to traumatic lesion. The maximal size of defect was 28 cm x 11 cm and the minimal size of defect was 11 cm x 9 cm. In operation, the thoracoumbilical flap which was based on the inferior epigastric vessels was anastomosed to the distal end of the anterior tibial vessels or posterior tibial vessels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anterior tibial artery, posterior tibial artery and fibular artery had rich communication branches in foot and ankle. All the flaps survived, the color and cosmetic result of them were good.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The free vascularized thoracoumbilical flap with reversed flow is practical in repairing the soft tissue defect of leg with tibia exposure. Either the anterior tibial vessels or the posterior tibial vessels is normal, and the distal end of injured blood vessels is available, this technique can be adopted.
authors.affiliation: Center of Orthopaedics of PLA, Kunming General Hospital, Kunming Yunnan, P. R. China 650032.
authors.forename: Y Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply; D013977:Tibia / Q000293:injuries