Reconstruction of Extensive Lower Extermity Soft Tissue Defect Using Free Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Flap with STSG.

Jung, Kwang Min; Hong, In Pyo; Kim, Jong Hwan

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 1999;26(5):927-932.
Published online September 1, 1999.

Reconstruction of Extensive Lower Extermity Soft Tissue Defect Using Free Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Flap with STSG.

Kwang Min Jung, In Pyo Hong, Jong Hwan Kim

Abstract

Reconstruction of extensive soft tissue defects of the lower extremity, especially when complicated by open fracture and bone loss, is usually a difficult problem for the plastic surgeon. Many methods have been devised to treat these conditions Musculocutaneous flaps add a valuable surgical alternative that bring vascularized cover to the defects, and the free microvascular transfer of these flaps gives the surgeon an added dimension of versatility. The latissimus dorsi is an extremly reliable musculocutaneous flap with a long, large-caliber vascular pedicle, so that dissection of the muscle can be performed with relative ease. The size of the latissimus dorsi muscle lends itself to coverage of large defects. While these characteristics appear to make the free latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous transfer ideal in many circumstances, it has some disadvantages. At the recipient site, the flap is ofter too bulky, and donor-site closure requires skin grafts if the flap is wider than 10cm. These skin grafts on the posterior thorax seriously detract from the final appearance of the donor site. The authors have experienced 12 cases of reconstruction of extensive lower extremity soft tissue defect in which the latissimus dorsi muscle alone was transferred and covered with a split-thickness skin graft. This method improves the recipient-site contour by decreasing the bulk of the flap and it also improves the donor-site appearance. We described technical considerations in each case and the advantages of free latissimus dorsi muscle flap and skin graft for the reconstruction of extensive soft tissue defect in the lower extremity.