Skip to main content

Soft Tissue Coverage in Complex Fractures of the Limbs

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Complex Fractures of the Limbs
  • 1324 Accesses

Abstract

Complex fractures of the limbs pose a clinical challenge for the multidisciplinary team that needs to treat them. The current advances in soft tissue flap reconstruction techniques have significantly improved the results of the limb salvage attempts. Understanding the reconstructive concepts of zone of injury, aggressive debridement and timing and the possibilities of flap coverage is essential to complete limb salvage in a timely and appropriate fashion. Complex extremity injury requires immediate and specialised attention via an interdisciplinary approach. The steps in surgical management include radical tissue debridement, adequate stabilisation and reconstruction of viable structures by the use of autologous blood vessels or nerve grafts and bone and soft tissue reconstructions with a “custom-fit” flap. Generally all of them must be done in a unique surgery. These are the most powerful tools for infection control and to get the best results.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Pasquale MD, Frykberg ER, Tinkoff GH (2006) Management of complex extremity trauma. Bull Am Coll Surg 91:36–38

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Gustilo RB, Anderson JT (1976) Prevention of infection in the treatment of one thousand and twenty-five open fractures of long bones: retrospective and prospective analyses. J Bone Joint Surg Am 58:453–458

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Gustilo RB, Mendoza RM, Williams DN (1984) Problems in the management of type III (severe) open fractures: a new classification of type III open fractures. J Trauma 24:742–746

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Chen MW, Narayan D (2009) Economics of upper extremity replantation: national and local trends. Plast Reconstr Surg 124:2003–2011

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Chung KC, Shauver MJ, Saddawi-Konefka D, Haase SC (2011) A decision analysis of amputation versus reconstruction for severe open tibial fracture from the physician and patient perspectives. Ann Plast Surg 66:185–191

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Ly TV, Travison TG, Castillo RC et al (2008) Ability of lower-extremity injury severity scores to predict functional outcome after limb salvage. J Bone Joint Surg Am 90:1738–1743

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. MacKenzie EJ, Bosse MJ, Kellam JF et al (2002) Factors influencing the decision to amputate or reconstruct after high-energy lower extremity trauma. J Trauma 52:641–649

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Bosse MJ, MacKenzie EJ, Kellam JF et al (2002) An analysis of outcomes of reconstruction or amputation after leg-threatening injuries. N Engl J Med 347:1924–1931

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. MacKenzie EJ, Bosse MJ, Castillo RC et al (2004) Functional outcomes following trauma-related lower-extremity amputation. J Bone Joint Surg Am 86:1636–1645

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Godina M (1986) Early microsurgical reconstruction of complex trauma of the extremities. Plast Reconstr Surg 78:285–292

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Davis E, Matthew D, Chung K (2012) Relationship between timing of emergency procedures and limb amputation in patients with open tibia fracture in the United States, 2003 to 2009. Plast Reconstr Surg 130(2):369–378

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Enninghorst N, McDougall D, Hunt JJ, Balogh ZJ (2011) Open tibia fractures: timely debridement leaves injury severity as the only determinant of poor outcome. J Trauma 70:352–356

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Isenberg JS, Sherman R (1996) Zone of injury: a valid concept in microvascular reconstruction of the traumatized lower limb? Ann Plast Surg 36:270–272

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Worlock P, Slack R, Harvey L (1994) The prevention of infection in open fractures: an experimental study of the effect of fracture stability. Injury 25:31–38

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Gopal S, Majumder S, Batchelor AG et al (2000) Fix and flap: the radical orthopaedic and plastic treatment of severe open fractures of the tibia. J Bone Joint Surg Br 82:959–966

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Mathes SJ, Nahai F (1997) The reconstructive triangle, a paradigm for surgical decision making. In: Mathes SJ, Nahai F (eds) Reconstructive surgery: principles, anatomy and technique, vol 1, 1st edn. Churchill Livingstone and Quality Medical Publishing Inc, New York, pp 9–36

    Google Scholar 

  17. Rajasekaran S (2007) Early versus delay closure of open fractures. Injury 38:890–895

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Parrett BM, Matros E, Pribaz JJ, Orgill DP (2006) Lower extremity trauma: trends in the management of soft-tissue reconstruction of open tibia-fibula fractures. Plast Reconstr Surg 117:1315–1322

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Chan J, Harry L, Williams G et al (2012) Soft-tissue reconstruction of open fractures of the lower limb: muscle versus fasciocutaneous flaps. Plast Reconstr Surg 130(2):284e–295e

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Harry LE, Sandison A, Pearse MF et al (2009) Comparison of the vascularity of fasciocutaneous tissue and muscle for coverage of open tibial fractures. Plast Reconstr Surg 124:1211–1219

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Yazar S, Lin CH, Lin YT et al (2006) Outcome comparison between free muscle and free fasciocutaneous flaps for reconstruction of distal third and ankle traumatic open tibial fractures. Plast Reconstr Surg 117:2468–2475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hidalgo DA, Shaw WW (1986) Reconstruction of foot injuries. Clin Plast Surg 13:663–680

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. May JW Jr, Rohrich RJ (1986) Foot reconstruction using free microvascular muscle flaps with skin grafts. Clin Plast Surg 13:681–689

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Scott T, Hollenbeck ST, Shoshana W, Issei K et al (2010) Longitudinal outcomes and application of the subunit principle to 165 foot and ankle free tissue transfers. Plast Reconstr Surg 125(3):924–934

    Google Scholar 

  25. Sönmez A, Bayramicli M, Sönmez B (2003) Reconstruction of the weight-bearing surface of the foot with nonneurosensory free flaps. Plast Reconstr Surg 111:2230–2236

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Lin C-H, Nguyen A (2010) Avoiding unfavorable results in microsurgical reconstruction in upper-extremity trauma. Semin Plast Surg 24(1):67–76

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Hsu CC, Lin YT, Lin CH (2009) Immediate emergency free anterolateral thigh flap transfer for the mutilated upper extremity. Plast Reconstr Surg 123:1739–1747

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Lin CH, Wei FC, Rodriguez ED, Lin YT et al (2005) Functional reconstruction of traumatic composite metacarpal defects with fibular osteoseptocutaneous free flap. Plast Reconstr Surg 116:605–612

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Lin CH, Wei FC (2000) Immediate Camitz opponensplasty in acute thenar muscle injury. Ann Plast Surg 44:270–276

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Liu R, Schindeler A (2010) The potential role of muscle in bone repair. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact 10:71–76

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Demirtas Y, Kelahmetoglu O, Cifci M et al (2010) Comparison of free anterolateral thigh flaps and free muscle-musculocutaneous flap in soft tissue reconstruction of lower extremity. Microsurgery 30:24Y31

    Google Scholar 

  32. Heller L, Levin LS (2001) Lower extremity microsurgical reconstruction. Plast Reconstr Surg 108:1029–1041

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Yaremchuk MJ, Brumback RJ, Manson PN (1987) Acute and definitive management of traumatic osteocutaneous defects of the lower extremity. Plast Reconstr Surg 80:1–14

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Kim JT, Kim CY, Kim YH (2008) T-Anastomosis in microsurgical free flap reconstruction: an overview of clinical applications. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 61:1157–1163

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Sananpanich K, Yuan Kun T, Kraisarin J et al (2008) Flow-through anterolateral thigh flap for simultaneous soft tissue and long vascular gap reconstruction in extremity injuries: anatomical study and case report. Injury 39S4:S47–S54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Khouri RK (1992) Reliability of primary vein grafts in lower extremity free tissue transfers avoiding free flap failure. Clin Plast Surg 19:773–781

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Vogt PM, Steinau HS, Spies M (2007) Outcome of simultaneous and staged microvascular free tissue transfer connected to arteriovenous loops in areas lacking recipient vessels. Plast Reconstr Surg 120:1568–1575

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Park S, Han SH, Lee TJ (1999) Algorithm for recipient vessel selection in free tissue transfer to the lower extremity. Plast Reconstr Surg 103:1937–1948

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Miyamoto S, Takushima A, Okazakiet M et al (2008) Relationship between microvascular arterial anastomotic type and area of free flap survival: comparison of end-to-end, end-to-side, and retrograde arterial anastomosis. Plast Reconstr Surg 121:1901–1908

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Tu Y-K, Yen C-Y (2008) Soft tissue injury management and flap reconstruction for mangled lower extremities. Injury 39S4:S75–S95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Arnez Z (1991) Immediate reconstruction of the lower extremity: an update. Clin Plast Surg 18:449–457

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Naique SB, Pearse M, Nanchahal J (2006) Management of severe open tibial fractures: the need for combined orthopaedic and plastic surgical treatment in specialist centres. J Bone Joint Surg Br 88:351–357

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Spyropoulou A, Jeng S-F (2010) Microsurgical coverage reconstruction in upper and lower extremities. Sem Plastic Surg 24:34–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Durrant CA, Mackey SP (2011) Orthoplastic classification systems: the good, the bad, and the ungainly. Ann Plast Surg 66:9–12

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carmen Iglesias-Urraca .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Iglesias-Urraca, C. (2014). Soft Tissue Coverage in Complex Fractures of the Limbs. In: Rodríguez-Merchán, E., Rubio-Suárez, J. (eds) Complex Fractures of the Limbs. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04441-5_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04441-5_12

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-04440-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-04441-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics