Use of local muscle flaps to cover leg bone exposures.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the use of the medial gastrocnemius muscle and/or soleus muscle flaps as surgical treatment of the leg bone exposure.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients undergoing transposition of the medial gastrocnemius and / or soleus for treating exposed bone in the leg, from January 1976 to July 2009, gathering information on epidemiological data, the etiology the lesion, the time between the initial injury and muscle transposition, the muscle used to cover the lesion, the healing evolution of the skin coverage and the function of the gastrocnemius-soleus unit.


RESULTS
53 patients were operated, the ages varying between nine and 84 years (mean age 41); 42 were male and 11 female. The main initial injury was trauma (84.8%), consisting of tibia and / or fibula fracture. The most frequently used muscle was the soleus, in 40 cases (75.5%). The rank of 49 patients (92.5%) was excellent or good outcome, of three (5.6%) as regular and of one (1.9%) as unsatisfactory.


CONCLUSIONS
the treatment of bone exposure with local muscle flaps (gastrocnemius and/or soleus) enables obtaining satisfactory results in covering of exposed structures, favoring local vascularization and improving the initial injury. It offers the advantage of providing a treatment in only one surgical procedure, an earlier recovery and reduced hospital stay.
Holy House of Mercy, Barra do Pirai, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.
Francisco
F
d'Avila
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Diogo
D
Franco
Severino Sombra University, Vassouras, RJ, Brasil.
Bianca
B
d'Avila
Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Marcio
M
Arnaut
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D055815:Young Adult