title: Free and island flap transfers for the treatment of motor vehicle injuries.
abstract: Thirteen patients (10 males and 3 females; age range at surgery: 2 to 41 years, average: 13.5 years) with motor vehicle injuries of the foot (n = 10) and leg (n = 3) were treated using free and island flaps. Donor flaps consisted of a scapular flap in six cases, a peroneal flap in four, a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap in one, gracillis muscle flap in one, and gastrocnemius muscle flap in one case. Free grafts were transferred in 10 patients and pedicle grafts in three. All flaps survived completely. Moderate scarring was noted in two patients who underwent scapular flap transfer, and growth disturbances occurred in two patients with metatarsal fracture accompanying epiphyseal plate injury. Functionally, no patients experienced any disturbance, and all reconstructed sites were cosmetically satisfactory. Early flap coverage of soft-tissue defects due to motor vehicle injury was shown to be useful from the point of view of both cosmetic and functional results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yajima
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kisanuki
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobata
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawate
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takakura
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018409:Foot Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps