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Neurocutaneous sural flap in paraplegic patients

Erba, P. and Wettstein, R. and Tolnay, M. and Rieger, U. M. and Pierer, G. and Kalbermatten, D. F.. (2009) Neurocutaneous sural flap in paraplegic patients. Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS British journal of plastic surgery, Vol. 62. pp. 1094-1098.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6006174

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Abstract

Neurocutaneous flaps have been demonstrated to be a reliable option in different groups of patients but it remains unclear if distally-based sural flaps can be safely used in paraplegic patients because they suffer from significant nervous system alterations. The aim of this proof-of-concept study is to demonstrate that these flaps are reliable in paraplegic patients. We prospectively analysed a group (n=6) of paraplegic patients who underwent reversed sural flap surgery for ulcers on the lateral malleolus. Measurement of area and photographic documentation techniques have been employed to quantify the defect area. Sural nerve biopsies have been analysed histologically with several different staining techniques to assess the neurovascular network and the myelinisation of the nerve. The patients showed uneventful wound healing, except one case that suffered a partial flap necrosis that healed by secondary intention. Histologic analysis revealed an intact neurovascular network and myelinated nerve fibres. In this small series of paraplegic patients that underwent a distally-based sural flap, the complication rate was low, with only one case of superficial partial necrosis demonstrating the reliability and safety of the flap in this subset of patients. Histologic evaluation of sural nerve biopsies revealed an almost normal morphology. A possible explanation of this phenomenon is that the dorsal root ganglia remain intact in paraplegic patients and can preserve neural characteristics in the peripheral sensory nerve system.
Faculties and Departments:03 Faculty of Medicine > Bereich Operative Fächer (Klinik) > Bewegungsapparat und Integument
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Klinische Forschung > Bereich Operative Fächer (Klinik) > Bewegungsapparat und Integument
03 Faculty of Medicine > Bereich Querschnittsfächer (Klinik) > Pathologie USB > Allgemeine Pathologie (Tolnay)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Klinische Forschung > Bereich Querschnittsfächer (Klinik) > Pathologie USB > Allgemeine Pathologie (Tolnay)
UniBasel Contributors:Tolnay, Markus and Kalbermatten, Daniel F.
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:1748-6815
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
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Last Modified:01 Mar 2013 11:14
Deposited On:01 Mar 2013 11:13

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