title: Free functional rectus femoris muscle transfer for restoration of knee extension and defect coverage after trauma.
abstract: In March of 2000 and May of 2002, two patients underwent restoration of knee extension with a free neurovascular rectus femoris flap. The female patient was 10 years and the male patient 19 years old. Both patients sustained a complex trauma of the thigh with fracture of the femur and posttraumatic loss of quadriceps femoris muscles. Follow up of the patients was 51 and 27 months. After 8 months reinnervation were detected by Electromyography (EMG) in both patients and contraction became visible 2 months later. The female patient obtained a good and the male patient a very good functional result. Both patients were able to walk unaided. The authors concluded that free functional rectus femoris transfer can obtain excellent results in treating knee extension and soft-tissue defect due to trauma and loss of the quadriceps femoris muscles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. gottfried.wechselberger@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wechselberger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ninkovic
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pülzl
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schoeller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000293:injuries* / Q000637:transplantation*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013524:Surgical Flaps