• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.510-513
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• 2006

Purpose: The Rectus abdominis muscle free flap is utilized in various reconstruction surgeries due to easiness in harvesting, consistency of vascular pedicle and reduced donor site morbidity. But rarely, femoral nerve injury during rectus abdominis harvesting can be resulted. We report a case of femoral nerve injury after rectus muscle harvesting and discuss the injury mechanism with the follow-up process of this injury. Methods: To reconstruct the defect of middle cranial base after wide excision of cystic adenocarcinoma of the external ear, rectus muscle free flap was havested in usual manner. To achieve a long vessel, inferior epigastric artery was dissected to the dividing portion of femoral artery and cut. Results: One week after the surgery, the patient noted sensory decrease in the lower leg, weakness in muscle strength, and disabilities in extension of the knee joint resulting in immobilization. EMG and NCV results showed no response on stimulation of the femoral nerve of the left leg, due to the defects in femoral nerve superior to the inguinal ligament. With routine neurologic evaluations and physical therapy, on the 75th day after the operation, the patient showed improvement in pain, sensation and muscle strength, and was able to move with walking frame. In 6 months after the operation, recovery of the muscle strength of the knee joint was observed with normal flexion and extension movements. Conclusion: Rarely, during dissection of the inferior epigastric artery, injuries to the femoral nerve can be resulted, probably due to excessive traction or pressure from the blade of the traction device. Therefore, femoral nerve injury can be prevented by avoiding excessive traction during surgery.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.360-366
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• 2012

Background Coverage of defects of the pretibial area remains a challenge for surgeons. The difficulty comes from the limited mobility and availability of the overlying skin and soft tissue. We applied variable pedicled perforator flaps to overcome the disadvantages of local flaps and free flaps on the pretibial area. Methods Eight patients who had the defects in the anterior tibial area were enrolled. Retrospective data were obtained on patient demographics, cause, defect location, defect size, flap dimension, originating artery, pedicle length, pedicle rotation, complication, and postoperative result. The raw surface created following the flap elevation was covered with a split thickness skin graft. Results Posterior tibial artery-based perforator flaps were used in five cases and peroneal artery-based perforator flaps in three cases. The mean age was 54.3 and the mean period of follow-up was 6 months. The average size of the flaps was 63.8 $cm^2$, with a range of 18 to 135 $cm^2$. There were no major complications. No patients had any newly developed functional deficit of the lower leg. Conclusions We suggest that pedicled perforator flaps can be an alternative treatment modality for covering pretibial defects as a simple, safe and versatile procedure.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2014

Purpose: Soft tissue defect on foot and ankle is vulnerable and requires a thin flap for improvement of aesthetic and functional results. Lateral supramalleolar flap is a simple and fast procedure, which can preserve and supply reliable constant blood flow, and causes fewer donor site complications. The authors reviewed our cases and report the clinical results. Materials and Methods: Ten cases of soft tissue defects on the lower leg, around the ankle were treated with lateral supramalleolar flap. There were seven males and three females with a mean age of 54.8 years. The mean size of flaps was $5.9{\times}6.3$ cm and the mean follow-up period was 23 months. Flap survival and postoperative complications were evaluated. Results: Nine flaps survived completely without loss of flap. There was one case of partial wound dehiscence requiring debridement and repair, and another case of necrotic flap change requiring partial bone resection and closure. All patients were capable of weight bearing ambulation at the last follow up. Conclusion: The authors suggest that the lateral supramalleolar flap could be a useful option for treatment of soft tissue defect around the ankle joint.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.187-192
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• 2006

The perforator flaps are based on cutaneous vessels which are originated from a main pedicle and penetrate fascia or muscle to reach the skin. The lateral lower leg is one of the most suitable areas for harvesting perforator flaps because a number of perforator vessels exist. The authors applied peroneal perforator flaps in nine patients. Five flaps were reverse island flaps based on peroneal artery and septocutaneous perforator, and four flaps were free flap based on musculocutaneous perforator only. The recipient site was the posterior ankle in three patients, posterior heel in three patients, lateral malleolus, anterolateral ankle, and foot dorsum in one patient each. The flap size ranged from 5 to 12cm long, from 3 to 5cm wide, and the primary closure of the donor site was possible in most cases. All flaps, except for the flap in two patients in the reverse island flap series, survived completely. The peroneal perforator flap is a very thin, pliable flap with minimal donor site morbidity and is suitable for the reconstruction of small and medium sized superficial skin defects. Also, this flap may be considered as an alternative to radial forearm flap or other perforator flaps.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.376-384
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• 2023

Purpose: The Armed Forces Trauma Center of Korea was established in April 2022. This study was conducted to report our 1-year experience of treating soldiers with open fractures of the lower extremity. Methods: In this case series, we reviewed the medical records of 51 Korean soldiers with open fractures of the lower extremity between April 2022 and March 2023 at a trauma center. We analyzed patients with Gustilo-Anderson type II and III fractures and reported the duration of transportation, injury mechanisms, injured sites, and associated injuries. We also presented laboratory findings, surgery types, intensive care unit stays, hospital stays, rehabilitation results, and reasons for psychiatric consultation. Additionally, we described patients' mode of transport. Results: This study enrolled nine male patients who were between 21 and 26 years old. Six patients had type II and three had type III fractures. Transport from the accident scene to the emergency room ranged from 75 to 455 minutes, and from the emergency room to the operating room ranged from 35 to 200 minutes. Injury mechanisms included gunshot wounds, landmine explosions, grenade explosions, and entrapment by ship mooring ropes. One case had serious associated injuries (inhalation burn, open facial bone fractures, and hemopneumothorax). No cases with serious blood loss or coagulopathies were found, but most cases had a significant elevation of creatinine kinase. Two patients underwent vascular reconstruction, whereas four patients received flap surgery. After rehabilitation, six patients could walk, one patient could move their joints actively, and two patients performed active assistive movement. Eight patients were referred to the psychiatry department due to suicidal attempts and posttraumatic stress disorder. Conclusions: This study provides insights into how to improve treatment for patients with military trauma, as well as medical services such as the transport system, by revising treatment protocols and systematizing treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.253-260
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• 2020

Purpose: Soft tissue defects of the distal lower extremity are commonly accompanied by a fracture of the lower extremities. Theses defects are caused by the injury itself or by complications associated with surgical treatment of the fracture, which poses challenging problem. The reverse superficial sural artery flap (RSSAF) is a popular option for these difficult wounds. This paper reviews these cases and reports the clinical results. Materials and Methods: Between August 2003 and April 2018, patients who were treated with RSSAF for soft tissue defects of the lower third of the leg and ankle related to a fracture were reviewed. A total of 16 patients were involved and the mean follow-up period was 18 months. Eight cases (50.0%) of the defects were due to an open fracture, whereas the other eight cases (50.0%) were postoperative complication after closed fracture. The largest flap measured 10×15 cm² and the mean size of the donor sites was 51.9 cm². The flap survival and postoperative complications were evaluated. Results: All flaps survived without complete necrosis or failure. One case with partial necrosis of the flap was encountered, but the wound healed after debridement and repair. One case had a hematoma with a pseudoaneurysmal rupture of the distal tibial artery. On the other hand, the flap was intact and the wound healed after arterial ligation and flap advancement. A debulking operation was performed on three cases for cosmetic reasons and implant removal through the flap was performed in three cases. No flap necrosis was encountered after these additional operations. Conclusion: RSSAF is a relatively simple and safe procedure for reconstructing soft tissue defects following a fracture of the lower extremity that does not require microsurgical anastomosis. This can be a useful treatment option for soft tissue defects on the distal leg, ankle, and foot.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.709-715
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• 2014

Background The distally based sural artery flap is a reliable, local reconstructive option for small soft tissue defects of the distal third of the leg. The purpose of this study is to describe an adipofascial flap based on a single sural nerve branch without sacrificing the entire sural nerve, thereby preserving sensibility of the lateral foot. Methods The posterior aspect of the lower limb was dissected in 15 cadaveric limbs. Four patients with soft tissue defects over the tendo-achilles and ankle underwent reconstruction using the adipofascial flap, which incorporated the distal peroneal perforator, short saphenous vein, and a single branch of the sural nerve. Results From the anatomical study, the distal peroneal perforator was situated at an average of 6.2 cm (2.5-12 cm) from the distal tip of the lateral malleolus. The medial and lateral sural nerve branches ran subfascially and pierced the muscle fascia 16 cm (14-19 cm) proximal to the lateral malleolus to enter the subcutaneous plane. They merged 1-2 cm distal to the subcutaneous entry point to form the common sural nerve at a mean distance of 14.5 cm (11.5-18 cm) proximal to the lateral malleolus. This merging point determined the pivot point of the flap. In the clinical cases, all patients reported near complete recovery of sensation over the lateral foot six months after surgery. All donor sites healed well with a full range of motion over the foot and ankle. Conclusions The distally based sural artery adipofascial flap allowed for minimal sensory loss, a good range of motion, an aesthetically acceptable outcome and can be performed by a single surgeon in under 2 hours.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.536-540
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• 2006

Purpose: The soft tissue injuries of the patellar area are difficult problems because of insufficient arterial blood supply and lack of muscle layer. There have been many methods for reconstructing the soft tissue injuries of the patellar area such as primary closure, skin graft, local flap and free tissue transfer. However, each method has some limitations in their application. After the first introduction, the fasciocutaneous flaps are widely used to reconstruct the soft tissue injuries. The saphenous nerve, one of the superficial sensory nerves in the lower leg, is supplied by the saphenous artery and its vascular network. We used the saphenous fasciocutaneous island flap to reconstruct the soft tissue injuries of the patellar area. Methods: From March 2002 to May 2005, we used the saphenous fasciocutaneous island flap to reconstruct the soft tissue injuries of the patellar area. The flap was elevated with saphenous nerve, saphenous vein and saphenous artery and its vascular network. The flap donor site was reconstructed with primary closure or split-thickness skin graft. Results: Five cases survived completely but 1 case developed partial necrosis of the skin on the upper margin of the flap. However, the necrosis was localized on skin layer, and we reconstructed with debridement and split-thickness skin graft only. After the operation, there was no contracture or gait disturbance in any patient. Conclusion: In conclusion, the saphenous fasciocutaneous island flap is safe, comfortable and effective method to reconstruct the soft tissue injuries of the patellar area.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.703-706
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• 2011

Purpose: Augmentation mammoplasty by cohesive silicone gel implant is becoming more popular nowadays. Many types of complications have been reported, such as hematoma, seroma, infection, capsular contracture and etc. But there were no report of deep vein thrombosis(DVT) after augmentation mammoplasty in Korea. The authors experienced one case of DVT after augmentation mammoplasty using a cohesive silicone gel implant. Methods: A 38-year-old woman with breast cancer underwent reconstruction by tissue expander and augmentation mammoplasty by cohesive silicone gel implant, and exchange of expander to cohesive silicone gel implant. The operation was finished without any complicating event. On 4th day after the operation, the patient complained of intermittent right lower leg pain. By doppler ultrasonography, the patient was diagnosed with acute venous thrombosis of the popliteal vein, posterior tibial vein and peroneal vein. Results: Intravenous heparinization and oral warfarin were started immediately and elastic compression stocking was applied. Intravenous heparinization was continued until INR (blood coagulation unit) reached to target levels. The patient was discharged on 11th day of operation with oral warfarin. Other complication has not been reported after 10 weeks of operation. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report of DVT after silicone implant based breast augmentation.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2022

The most common cause of foot drop is lumbar degenerative disc herniation, particularly at L4/5. We present a rare case of spinal cord injury accompanied by a thoracolumbar lesion that presented with bilateral foot drop. A 69-year-old male patient presented with sudden-onset severe bilateral leg pain and bilateral foot drop. Radiologic findings revealed T12 spondylitis compressing the conus medullaris. He had undergone vertebroplasty for a T12 compression fracture after a fall 6 months before. A physical examination showed bilateral foot drop, paresthesia of both L5 dermatomes, increased deep tendon reflex, and a positive Babinski sign. An acute bilateral L5 root lesion and a conus medullaris lesion were suspected based on electromyography. A surgical procedure was done for decompression and reconstruction. After the operation, bilateral lower extremity muscle strength recovered to a good grade from the trace grade, and the patient could walk without a cane. The current case is a very rare report of bilateral foot drop associated with T12 infectious spondylitis after vertebroplasty. It is essential to keep in mind that lesions of the thoracolumbar junction can cause atypical neurological symptoms. Furthermore, understanding the conus medullaris and nerve root anatomy at the T12-L1 level will be helpful for treating patients with atypical neurological symptoms.