title: [Transferring neurovascular rectus femoris muscle segment for treatment of facial paralysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate a new technique for functional treatment of chronic facial paralysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on anatomy of intramuscular neurovascular structure in the rectus femoris muscle, 7 consecutive patients with facial paralysis were treated by using a technique of microsurgically free-transferring neurovascular rectus femoris muscle segment to the face in one-stage. Follow-ups were 10 to 24 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the 7 patients showed significantly improvement in the appearance of the oral commissure and oral competence. No complications occurred in the donor site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The above mentioned technique may have the advantages of preventing the intramuscular nerve and vessel from the surgical injury during splitting the muscle. It could also maintain the transferred muscular segment in a proper tension in the recipient site.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, 2nd Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China.
authors.forename: Da-ping
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: De-hong
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Xue-wu
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Tie-fang
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xue-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation / Q000637:transplantation*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D060053:Transplant Donor Site; D016896:Treatment Outcome