The Latissimus dorsi was transferred as a free vascular flap in sixteen patients with soft injury and three patients with joint contracture, and as a pedicle flap in five patients with brachial plexus injury, at department of orthopedic surgery,
Yonsei
university, college of medicine, from November 1983 to June, 1990.
@ES The results were as follows:
@EN 1. Sixteen patients who had a soft tissue injury were transferred the latissimus dorsi as free flap. Although there was complete necrosis of the flap in two patients, the remaining fourteen patients obtained complete coverage without further
reconstructive surgery.
2. Three patients who had a joint contracutre transferred the latissimus dorsi as free flap. Although there was complete necrosis of the flap in one case, the remaining two patients obtained complete coverage without futher reconstructive
surgery.
3. Five patients who had a brachial plexus injury transferred the latissimus dorsi as muscle transfer for elbow flexion. Postoperatively, all five patients obtained the muscle strength of Grade 4.
Transfer of the latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap was a very useful procedure in the reconstruction of the extremities in the case of the motor loss, joint contracture, or soft tissue defect.
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