title: Bilateral pre-expanded free TFL flaps for reconstruction of severe thoracic scar contractures in an 8-year-old girl.
abstract: We present the case of an 8-year-old girl who suffered from acute myeloid leukaemia-related necrotising fasciitis in her early childhood resulting in severe skin and soft-tissue loss with subsequent circumferential thoracic scar formation. While tissue expander use yielded successful skin replacement for median scar areas, ribs were covered with ultrathin skin envelope at the lateral thoracic wall leading to growth and shoulder abduction impairment. Skin and soft-tissue reconstruction of these extended rib areas was aimed for in a one-step approach. Both lateral thoracic walls were successfully reconstructed with free microsurgical transfer of large pre-expanded tensor fasciae latae flaps, in order to enable future thoracic growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Krankenhausstr. 12, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: justus.beier@uk-erlangen.de.
authors.forename: Justus P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Beier
authors.forename: Raymund E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Horch
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kneser
mesh_terms: D001415:Back / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003286:Contracture / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000150:complications; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012272:Ribs / Q000254:growth & development; D013909:Thorax; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Free TFL flap; Free flap in children; Pre-expanded TFL flap