FREE COMPOSITE GROIN FLAP AND VASCULARIZED EXTERNAL OBLIQUE APONEUROSIS FOR TRAUMATIC AVULSION INJURIES OF THE FOOT

Avulsion trauma to the dorsum of the foot is usually combined with skin and tendon loss. Five patients with such composite tissue loss were treated with composite free groin flaps including the external oblique aponeurosis based on the superficial circumflex iliac vessels. The groin flaps resurfaced the skin defect and the vascularized fascia was used to replace the absent extensor tendons in a single-stage reconstruction. All the composite free tissue transfers were successful. When compared with conventional treatments, the advantages of this technique are one-stage reconstruction, faster wound healing, and fewer adhesions of the reconstructed tendons.