J Korean Orthop Assoc.  1979 Sep;14(3):513-518. 10.4055/jkoa.1979.14.3.513.

Muscle Transposition and Skin Graft for the Coverage of Exposed Bone

• Rowe SM
• Kim JT

• KMID: 2460295
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.1979.14.3.513

Abstract

The technique of muscle transposition has gained an accepted place in treating the wide skin defect with bony exposure in which conventional palliative care has rarely been successful. The principle of this procedure, popularized by Ralph Ger and significantly contributed by Bakajian, has been approved by many and now been adapted in the care of similar lesion throughout the entire body regions. This report comprises the results of muscle transposition experienced in 28 patients. The results were as follows: 1. Twenty-four cases of antetibial skin defect with bony exposure, resulted from chronic osteomyelitis, open fracture, chronic ulcer, and burn scar, were successfully managed with the transposition of single muscle or combination of them: medial head of the gastroenemius, the soleus, the flexor digitorum longus and the abductor hallucis. The extent and the level of the defect in each case were the sole indication of selection of the appropriate muscle and the number. 2. Four patients with decubitus ulcer in the sacral region were also managed by transposing the upper half of the gluteus maximus. 3. Subsequent skin coverage over the transposed muscle were uniformly successful in all cases and this technique seemed to afford a definite favorable influence upon the healing of fracture and the eradication of infection.

MeSH Terms

Body Regions
Burns
Cicatrix
Fractures, Open
Head
Humans
Osteomyelitis
Palliative Care
Pressure Ulcer
Sacrococcygeal Region
Skin*
Transplants*
Ulcer