title: The perforator pedicled propeller (PPP) flap method: report of two cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perforator flaps are thin free-tissue transfers consisting of skin and subcutaneous tissue which have the advantage of decreasing donor site morbidity. We have reconstructed postburn scar contractures using "propeller flaps" of the remaining healthy skin around the recipient sites. In this paper, we report on two cases and describe the concept of using "perforator flaps" and "propeller flaps" together as what are called "perforator pedicled propeller (PPP) flaps."
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient 1 was an 18-year-old man with a sacral pressure ulcer. The soft tissue defect was reconstructed with a rotated superior gluteal artery PPP flap. Patient 2 was a 53-year-old woman who presented with an open fracture of the right elbow. The skin defect over the fracture was covered with a rotated deep brachial artery PPP flap raised on the lateral upper arm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PPP flaps are useful for burn reconstruction and repairing various types of wound. Moreover, microsurgery is unnecessary. The PPP flap may be classified into two types: the central axis type and the acentric axis type. The central axis PPP flap is significant when used as a 90-degree-rotation island flap, and the acentric axis PPP flap is significant when used as a 180-degree-rotation island flap. Both types are easy to harvest and useful for repairing various kinds of wound.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Regenerative Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hyakusoku
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oki
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishii
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000601:surgery*