title: Free-flap monitoring using a chimeric sentinel muscle perforator flap.
abstract: Muscle perforator flaps have become an important resource for the creation of cutaneous flaps based on musculocutaneous perforators, but without inclusion of the involved muscle. As a chimeric flap with or without the muscle, the cutaneous perforator flap can specifically serve as a sentinel or monitoring flap to allow the early detection of anastomotic compromise involving the common source vessel, without the need for direct observation of the major free-flap component. This can be a valuable adjunctive use of muscle perforator flaps for the continuous assessment of free muscle flaps or as an exteriorized flap for the monitoring of buried free flaps.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, The Lehigh Valley Hospitals, Allentown, Pennsylvania 18103, USA.
authors.forename: Geoffrey G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Hallock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*