USE OF A CROSS-LEG FREE MUSCLE FLAP TO RECONSTRUCT AN EXTENSIVE BURN WOUND INVOLVING A LOWER-EXTREMITY

A young patient sustained a high-voltage burn with extensive destruction of the soft tissue in his left lower extremity. Occlusion of the anterior and posterior tibial arteries, loss of toe extensors and the superficial and deep peroneal nerves were noted, besides the exposure of the lower end of the tibia and metatarsal bones. In the absence of proper recipient vessels, a cross-leg free latissimus dorsi muscle flap with overlying skin and depending on the vessels of the contralateral foot was used successfully for reconstruction of the defect. The pedicle was divided 3 weeks after microvascular anastomosis and the flap survived completely. This technique permits transfer of free flaps to compromised wounds without available recipient vessels, and the latissimus dorsi muscle flap, with its characteristics of large size and copious vascularity, could be split to cover exposed bones in different areas simultaneously.