Efficacy of ramified flap of lateral circumflex femoral artery for repairing complex wounds of lower extremity / 中华创伤杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness of ramified flap of the lateral circumflex femoral artery for repairing complex wounds of lower extremity.Methods:A retrospective case series study was performed on 25 patients with complex wounds of lower extremity treated in Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from September 2018 to September 2020. There were 18 males and 7 females at age of 18-69 years［（42.2 ± 3.7）years］. The wounds were located at the calf in 7 patients，at the ankle in 7 and at the dorsum of foot in 11. Single wide irregular wound was noted in 15 patients for an area of 10 cm × 9 cm to 18 cm × 12 cm，and 2 to 3 sites of wounds occurred in 10 patients with each wound ranging from 4 cm × 3 cm to 12 cm × 5 cm. All wounds were covered using ramified flap of the lateral circumflex femoral artery. All donor sites were closed directly. At the latest follow-up，appearance and texture of the flap，formation of scar on the donor sites and walking function of the affected limb were observed. One month after operation and at the latest follow-up，British Medical Research Association（BMRC）grade and Vancouver Scar Scale（VSS）score were used to evaluate the recovery of sensory function of the flap and scar formation of the donor sites，respectively.Results:All patients were followed up for 7-30 months［（12.1 ± 1.8）months］. At the latest follow-up，good appearance and soft texture of the flap were observed，leaving only linear scar at the donor sites and normal function of the affected limb. At the latest follow-up，there were 23 patients with BMRC at grade of S3 and S4 compared to none at 1 postoperative month（ P < 0.01），and the VSS score was 4-8 points［（6.0 ± 1.3）points］compared to 7-13 points［（9.9 ± 1.6）points］at postoperative 1 month（ P < 0.01）. Conclusion:For complex wounds of lower extremity，ramified flap of the lateral circumflex femoral artery has advantages of good recovery of the appearance，texture and sensory function of the recipient sites and only linear scar in the donor sites.