Use of the medial side of the knee skin as a free flap: saphenous flap.
BACKGROUND
The knee region is a good free skin flap donor site, as it has minimal subcutaneous tissue and provides a hidden donor site. Acland et al. first used the skin over the medial side of the knee as a "saphenous flap" based on the saphenous branch of the descending genicular artery.


METHODS
The authors studied the descending genicular artery and its saphenous branch in six cadaver limbs and elevated the skin over the medial side of the knee as a free flap in six patients to reconstruct lower extremity defects.


RESULTS
In all clinical cases, the authors were able to elevate a skin flap from the skin on the medial side of the knee. The saphenous branch was absent in one cadaveric limb and one patient limb; instead, a direct cutaneous branch from the femoral artery reached the skin and had nearly the same caliber as the saphenous branch of the other cases. All the flaps survived and the defects healed well.


CONCLUSIONS
The medial side of the knee is a good donor site, as it provides thin skin with innervation potential by means of the medial femoral cutaneous nerve and leaves an inconspicuous donor-site scar.
Ankara Social Security Hospital Plastic Surgery Clinic, Ankara, Turkey. sebatmursel@hotmail.com
Sebat
S
Karamürsel
Selim
S
Celebioğlu
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000294:innervation; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting