BACKGROUND Lower limb ulcers are a major source of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. Surgical coverage of these wounds is fraught with a high complication rate. Although clinically perforator flaps lead to good results in diabetic patients, there is little experimental data to support this finding. METHODS A total of 60 Wistar rats were randomly assigned either to the diabetic (n ...

Introduction The need for an appropriate flap cover to protect vital structures, restore and preserve function and aesthetics of the hand following tissue loss remains a challenge to the reconstructive hand surgeon. Following the description of the angiosome concept by Taylor and Palmer and the pioneering work of authors such as Koshima & Soeda, Kroll, and Rosenfield, in the late 1980s, the per...

1 Yohei Sotsuka, MD, PhD* Ken Matsuda MD, PhD† Kazutoshi Fujita, MD* Toshihiro Fujiwara, MD, PhD* Masao Kakibuchi, MD, PhD* Sir: R personal three-dimensional (3D) printers have become available. These printers are easy to handle and affordable to buy. Threedimensional mandibular models and auricular chondral framework 3D models built with a personal 3D printer by using free software have been r...

BACKGROUND An animal model of a distal pedicled sural neurocutaneous flap for experimental research has not previously been established. The purpose of this study was to construct a sural neurocutaneous vascular flap model in the rabbit. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-five New England rabbits were divided into four groups. Five rabbits in Group A were used for an anatomical study. Red latex and...

The authors present a case of bilateral vulvar defects after abrasion of malignant skin neoplasm, reconstructed with a gluteal-fold perforator flap, resulting in a successful outcome.

BACKGROUND The anterolateral thigh (ALT) perforator flap has become a popular option for treating soft tissue defects of lower extremity reconstruction and can be combined with a segment of the vastus lateralis muscle. We present a comparison of the use of the ALT fasciocutaneous (ALT-FC) and myocutaneous flaps. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed patients in whom free-tissue transfer was per...

We congratulate Figus and colleagues on their series of 14 patients with DIEP flap breast reconstruction who underwent immediate (14 implants) or delayed (four implants) augmentation. We concur that implant augmentation offers an effective option for optimising the results of autologous tissue breast reconstruction but have independently taken a different approach. We would like to share our re...