title: The gluteus maximus muscle flap for reconstruction of sacral chordoma defects.
abstract: Four patients diagnosed with sacral chordoma underwent reconstruction with the gluteus maximus flap using an approach based on available muscle remnants and their residual blood supply. The entire unilateral gluteus maximus muscle was turned over to fill the defect in 2 patients. The flap was based on 1 or 2 gluteal vessels, depending on vessel availability following tumor resection. When all 4 major pedicles had been ligated, bilateral advancement gluteal muscle flaps based on their distal blood supply were used (patient 3). A longitudinally split flap was used for secondary reconstruction of a partially obliterated defect (patient 4). Over a mean follow-up period of 8 months, there was no wound breakdown and all patients were ambulant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Poh-Koon
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Bien-Keem
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Soo-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Mann-Hong
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Kok-Chai
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002817:Chordoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012447:Sacrum; D013524:Surgical Flaps