Background: Complex limb trauma often involves both soft tissue and vascular defects, and is challenging for surgeons. The traditional musculocutaneous flap cannot achieve a 3-dimensional wound repair. Here we report our experience with a single-stage reconstruction and revascularization performed on complex extremity injuries using a free flow-through chimeric anterolateral thigh perforator (ALTP) flap.
Patients and methods: Seventeen patients (16 men; aged 19-55 years) with complex soft tissue defects attended our hospital from January 2010 to November 2017. All patients underwent reconstruction based on free flow-through chimeric ALTP flap for complex injuries in their extremities. The wound size ranged from 16 × 8 to 45 × 30 cm. The injured artery was flow-through anastomosed with the descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery to regain blood flow. The muscle flap was used to fill the deep dead space on the injury site. The skin and fascial flaps were used for superficial cover. The donor site defects were sutured directly in 6 patients; simultaneous skin grafts were applied in the remaining 11 patients.
Results: The ALTP flaps survived in 15 patients. Failure necessitated limb amputation in 2 patients. Six patients received both skin and fasciae flaps; 11 received flaps comprising the skin, fasciae, and vastus lateralis muscle. Partial necrosis after skin grafting was observed in 11 patients, and the wounds healed either by dressing change (1 patient) or second skin graft (10 patients). All donor sites healed without complications. All patients were followed up for 5 to 60 months (mean, 21.8 months).
Conclusions: The flow-through chimeric ALTP flap can be used for 1-stage reconstruction of 3-dimensional soft tissue defects and vascular gap. It is feasible for managing complex injuries of both the upper and lower extremities in emergency settings.