The Treatment of Trochanteric Pressure Sore Using Superior or Inferior Gluteal Artery Perforator Flap.

Tark, Woo Hyun; Lee, Won Jai; Yun, In Sik; Rah, Dong Kyun

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2011;38(3):235-240.
Published online May 1, 2011.

The Treatment of Trochanteric Pressure Sore Using Superior or Inferior Gluteal Artery Perforator Flap.

Woo Hyun Tark, Won Jai Lee, In Sik Yun, Dong Kyun Rah

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Institute for Human Tissue Restoration, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. pswjlee@yuhs.ac

Abstract

PURPOSE
Management of pressure sores has been improved, along with development of musculocutaneous flaps and perforator flaps. Nowadays, the treatment of pressure sore with perforator flaps has shown several advantages, including minimal donor site morbidity, relatively versatile flap design not only in primary cases but also in recurred cases and minimized anatomical rearrangement of regional muscle position. In this study, we report our clinical experience of gluteal perforator flap used in the treatment of a greater trochanteric pressure sore. METHODS: A clinical study was performed on 7 patients who underwent total 10 operations. 1 superior gluteal artery perforator flap and 9 inferior gluteal artery perforator flaps were used to reconstruct the defect, followed by the mean observation duration of 22 months.
RESULTS
There were no total flap loss. We treated 2 cases of partial flap loss with debridement and primary repair. 2 recurred cases were successfully treated using the same method. Donor sites were all primarily repaired.
CONCLUSION
The gluteal perforator flap could be considered as a safe and favorable alternative in the treatment of soft tissue defects in the greater trochanteric area. The advantages of the flap include low donor site morbidity and the possibility of versatile flap design not only in primary cases but also in recurred cases.

Keywords: Greater trochanteric pressure sore; Soft tissue reconstruction; Perforator flap