膝上内侧自由式穿支螺旋桨皮瓣修复膝关节及其周围深度创面的临床效果

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of applying above-knee medial free-style perforator propeller flap in repairing deep wounds in and around the knee joint. METHODS: This study was a retrospective observational study. From December 2020 to October 2023, the Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University admitted 13 patients who met the inclusion criteria and had deep burn wounds in and around the knee joints, including 9 males and 4 females, aged 16-70 years. After debridement, the sizes of skin and soft tissue defects ranged from 5.0 cm×4.0 cm to 9.0 cm×7.0 cm. A free-style perforator propeller flap was designed and harvested from the medial supragenicular region, using a perforator vessel as the pedicle. The size of the flap ranged from 6.0 cm×4.0 cm to 15.0 cm×7.0 cm. The larger paddle of the flap was used to repair the wound in and around the knee joint, while the smaller paddle assisted in closing the donor site wound. After surgery, the survival status of the flap, wound healing at the donor and recipient sites, and complications such as infection, effusion, and necrosis were observed. During the follow-up, the appearance, color, and texture of the flap as well as the wound healing, scar contracture, and knee joint mobility at the recipient site were observed, and the scar condition, sensory recovery, and complications at the donor site were recorded. RESULTS: Postoperatively, all 13 patients achieved successful flap survival. In one case, infection occurred at the edge of the flap but healed after appropriate treatment including drainage and dressing changes, and the donor site wound healed well; the remaining 12 patients showed uneventful healing at both donor and recipient sites without complications. During follow-up of 5 to 24 months, all 13 patients exhibited natural appearance, normal skin color, soft texture, and good elasticity. The recipient site wounds healed well without scar contracture or deformity, with full range of motion in the knee joint. A mild linear scar remained at the donor site on the inner thigh, with normal sensory function and no numbness. CONCLUSIONS: The above-knee medial free-style perforator propeller flap demonstrates simple harvest with minimal trauma for repairing deep wounds in and around the knee joint, providing satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes at both donor and recipient sites.