The foot as a donor site in reconstructive microsurgery

A common vasculature of large dimensions supplies many segments of the foot that are suitable for distant transfer for reconstructive purposes. Toes, innervated web spaces, and the dorsal skin of the foot each have unique qualities and indications as segments for transfer at the expense of minimal morbidity to the foot. Forty-four microvascular transfers of toes, flaps, muscles, bones, and tendons have been carried out for reconstructive purposes in the hand, face, and neck over a 5-year period. Only 2 losses have occurred, both in the first year. A significant upgrading of function and reduction of disfigurement has followed the majority of these procedures. Sometimes the tissues have been used in combination, as in neurovascular free flaps and combined dorsum of the foot flap and second metatarsal. This series of cases demonstrates the unique capacity of the foot as a donor site in reconstructive surgery.

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Résumé Plusieurs éléments du pied ont un pédicule vasculaire de calibre suffisant pour permettre une transplantation dans un but de reconstruction. Les orteils, les commissures interdigitales avec leur innervation, la peau dorsale peuvent ainsi être utilisées avec des indications spécifiques, et avec une morbidité minime pour le pied. Au cours des 5 dernières années, nous avons réalisé 44 transplantations avec micro-anastomoses vasculaires d'orteils, de lambeaux cutanés, de muscles, d'os et de tendons pour reconstruire la main, la face, les régions du cou. Deux transplants seulement ont échoué, tous 2 au cours de la première année. Avec ce type de transplant, on obtient, dans la majorité des cas, un meilleur résultat fonctionnel et esthétique. Certains transplants étaient formés de plusieurs tissus: lambeaux cutanés libres avec leur pédicule vasculaire et nerveux, lambeau cutané dorsal avec le deuxième métatarsien, par exemple. Cette série d'observations démontre que le pied est un excellent site donneur pour la chirurgie reconstructive.

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This project is supported in part by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.     

Iliac crest autogenous bone grafting: donor site complications

Autogenous bone grafting is often done in orthopaedic surgery for a variety of conditions. The iliac crest is currently the most common donor site for obtaining autogenous bone graft. We searched the literature to summarize reported complications related to the donation of autogenous bone from the iliac crest. Our review revealed reports of arterial injury, ureteral injury, herniation, chronic pain, nerve injury, infection, fracture, pelvic instability, cosmetic defects, hematoma, and tumor transplantation. Currently, autogenous bone grafting is a necessary part of the treatment of various orthopaedic conditions. Obtaining bone from the iliac crest can be associated with significant morbidity. As bone grafting technology emerges, the known complications of the current standard should be weighed against the risk of alternate therapies.     

Evaluation of donor site intrinsic healing response in autologous osteochondral grafting of the knee

We report the case of a 45-year-old male patient who underwent autologous osteochondral autografting in the knee for osteochondritis dissecans. The patient required revision surgery 1 year postoperatively, which allowed histologic and mechanical characterization of the intrinsic healing response of the initial graft donor sites. Histologic examination showed heterogeneous areas of dense fibrous tissue, bone, and discrete areas of cartilage. Mechanical testing using a confined compression testing technique determined the equilibrium stiffness as 0.97 MPa. The majority of dense fibrous tissue and areas of bone are likely responsible for the observed increased stiffness. When performing osteochondral autografting, consideration must be given to the benefit afforded to improving the areas of cartilage injury with the potential morbidity associated with graft harvest at the donor sites.     

Tibia as donor site for alveolar bone grafting in patients with cleft lip and palate: long-term experience.

Tibial bone grafts were studied in 137 patients with clefts of the lip and palate. Twenty-one had clefts of the lip and primary palate and 116 had complete unilateral clefts of the lip and palate. Bone grafting was performed secondarily or late secondarily. Bone was harvested from the proximal part of the tibia distal to the tuberosity through an incision about 15 mm long. The mean follow-up time after bone grafting was 5.5 years (range 2-11). There were no operative, or early or late postoperative complications reported (such as haematoma, fracture, or shortening of the limb). Harvesting time was about 15 minutes. The possibility of operating with two teams makes the total operating time shorter. Bleeding was negligible (less than 15 ml) and the amount of bone obtained was always sufficient. Patients were mobilised the next day and were back to full physical activity by one month. Indications for tibial bone grafting included facilitation of tooth eruption into the graft, giving bony support to the neighbouring teeth, making it possible to insert a titanium fixture, raising the alar base of the nose, and closing an oronasal fistula. Compared with iliac, cranial, mandibular, and costal donor sites, using the tibia took less time, gave less bleeding, made it possible for two teams to operate simultaneously, gave a smaller scar, and there were minimal complications and satisfactory quantity and quality of bone in all cases. The results suggested that the tibia is an excellent choice of graft for residual alveolar clefts in patients with cleft lip and palate.     

Gracilis donor site morbidity

Donor site morbidity in 104 cases of gracilis free tissue transfer was examined through a retrospective chart review and mail survey. Fifty-one females and 53 males with an average age of 23 years comprised the study group. Forty-three were under age 18. In-hospital donor site complications occurred in 10 patients. There was excessive pain in 4, wound infections in 3, hemorrhage in 2, and temporary nerve palsy in 1. Early complications were more common in the pediatric group. Sixty-two surveys were returned from patients detailing late complications where they graded parameters between 0 and 10 where 0 was “none” and 10 was “worst imaginable.” The highest average score was 5.12 reported for noticeability of the scar. There was a significant difference between adults and children for sensitivity, tightness, noticeability, and ugliness of the scar. More than half the respondents had no complaints about their donor site scar. Fifteen percent of patients reported temporary reduction of leg strength with a mean duration of 6 months. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

湿性敷料促进供皮区创面愈合的临床研究

目的　观察湿性敷料对供皮区创面愈合的作用。方法　对 4 2例患者行大腿外取皮 ,将供皮区创面分为治疗组即用湿性敷料覆盖及对照组即用凡士林纱布覆盖 ,分别观察治疗组和对照组供皮区创面的愈合时间。结果　创面愈合的平均时间 ,治疗组为 (10 .2± 2 .7)天 ,对照组为 (12 .4± 1.5 )天 ,两者比较P <0 .0 1差异有显著意义。结论　湿性敷料能促进供皮区创面的愈合。     

湿性敷料促进供皮区创面愈合的临床研究

目的观察湿性敷料对供皮区创面愈合的作用.方法对42例患者行大腿外取皮,将供皮区创面分为治疗组即用湿性敷料覆盖及对照组即用凡士林纱布覆盖,分别观察治疗组和对照组供皮区创面的愈合时间.结果创面愈合的平均时间,治疗组为(10.2±2.7)天,对照组为(12.4±1.5)天,两者比较P＜0.01差异有显著意义.结论湿性敷料能促进供皮区创面的愈合.     

An algorithm to improve outcomes of radial forearm flap donor site

Background: Due to the high rate of donor site complications the Radial Forearm Flap (RFF) has lost ground in favor of the Antero-lateral tight flap (ALT) and other flaps. We have designed a reconstruction algorithm for reconstruction of its donor site. The goal of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the impact of this algorithm on RFF donor site complication rates.

Methods: The authors analyzed retrospectively 31 patients who underwent free radial forearm flap reconstruction between November 2009 and May 2013. Donor site complications were compared with data from patients treated before introdutction of the algorithm. Within the group were compared patients in which the flap was harvested suprafascial with those in which the flap was harvested as subfascial.

Results: Before application of the algorithm, there was a 23.3% complication rate at the RFF donor site, in our experience. After introduction of the algorithm, complication rate has dropped to 3.2%, consisting in a partial skin graft necrosis treated by local wound-care and healed without further intervention.

Conclusions: Application of the algorithm described has led to a significant reduction in RFF donor site complication rates. This demonstrates that if flap donor sites are analyzed and tailor treated in the same way as primary defects are, instead of being given secondary importance and just grafted, outcomes improve.     

Nerve grafting in peripheral nerve microsurgery of the upper extremity

The use of microsurgical techniques is essential in peripheral nerve surgery, in which dissection at the fascicular level is required. Magnification with an operating microscope allows for an accurate evaluation of the severity of the trauma to the nerve tissue and permits atraumatic interfascicular dissection. Fascicular or interfascicular dissection and repair with the use of nerve grafts was carried out in 220 peripheral nerve lesions of the upper extremity. Our results of nerve-grafting in the upper extremity (median, ulnar, and radial-nerves) indicate an inverse association between the age of the patient and the delay between injury and grafting. In addition, we found that nerve grafting without tension produces superior results over simple neurorrhaphy under tension and permits better axonal growth and nerve recovery. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Plaque incision and venous patch grafting for Peyronie's disease

Purpose:To evaluate the results of plaque incision and venous patch grafting to correct the dorsal curvature associated with Peyronie's disease.Materials and methods:18 patients with Peyronie's disease were treated surgically. All of the patients have dorsal penile curvature for more than one year causing intromission impossible or with some difficulty because of curvature. Median penile angulatio was 60° (range 45°–75°). A transverse incision about 2 cm long was made on the plaque where maximal site of curvature was identified. The saphenous vein harvested from the ankle region is opened longitudinally and its endothelial surface is placed and sutured in contact with the tunical defect.Results:Complete penile straightening was achieved in 16 (88.8%) cases and only two patients have residual curvature less than 30° permitting sexual intercourse. None of the patients returned to baseline preoperative angulation state in the follow up period. 3 patients (16.6%) reported penile shortening, but only one was concerned and showed dissatisfaction about it. 6 patients (33.3%) have transient changes in penile sensation that resolved within 4 months.Conclusions:Plaque incision and placement of saphenous vein patch graft offers a 94.4% satisfactory result in Peyronie's disease causing penile dorsal curvature.     

The role of microsurgery in nerve repair and nerve grafting

Advances in the field of microsurgery have improved the results after peripheral nerve surgery and have extended the types of nerve repair that can be accomplished. Innovative techniques using microsurgical dissection, such as nerve transfers and end-to-side repairs are direct consequences of these advances.     

An alternative dressing material for the split-thickness skin graft donor site: oxidized regenerated cellulose

The split-thickness skin graft (STSG) donor sites have been treated with various and plenty of dressing techniques and materials. An ideal STSG donor site dressing should have antibacterial, hemostatic, and promoting epidermal healing properties. We have performed a prospective study to evaluate the effect of the oxidized regenerated cellulose on STSG donor site healing. Between January 2002 and January 2005, 40 patients who were operated in any kind of reconstructive operations with STSG donor sites were included in the study. One half of the wound was covered with oxidized regenerated cellulose and the other half of the same wound of the same patient was covered with fine mesh gauze treated with Furacin (nitrofurazone). The patients were grouped into 2 depending on the dressing technique: group I, semiclosed and group II, closed. The wounds were evaluated for healing time, infection, pain perception of the patient, and final esthetic results. The oxidized regenerated cellulose side of the group I was healed in a mean of 6.5 +/- 0.51 days; in group II, 5.4 +/- 0.50 days (range, 5-6 days). The fine mesh gauze treated with Furacin in group I was healed in a mean of 9.9 +/- 0.97 days (range, 8-11 days); in group II, 8.4 +/- 0.99 days (range, 7-10 days). There was a statistical significance between the oxidized regenerated cellulose side and the fine mesh gauze side (P < 0.001) in group I and group II separately. The difference between group I and group II was statistically significant in the oxidized regenerated cellulose side (P < 0.001), and the difference between group I and group II was statistically significant in the fine mesh gauze side (P < 0.005). The antibacterial, hemostatic, and absorbable property of the oxidized regenerated cellulose could ensure the utilization as an alternative STSG donor site dressing, especially because the positive influence over the wound healing was proven.