OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of vacuum sealing(VS) technique and emergency internal fixation on the management of limbs open fracture and soft tissue dirty defects. METHODS: Fourteen patients (18 limbs) with open fracture and soft tissue dirty defects were treated by the VS technique and internal fixation after debridement and 14 patients managed by traditional method as control group. Wound surface were covered with polyvinyl alcohol foams with embedded drainage tubes connected with vacuum bottle (negative pressure of 50 to 60 kPa) after wound surface were debrided and fracture were fixed. Wound closure was performed with secondary suturing, or free flap, or loco-regional flap and mesh-grafts after 5 to 7 days. RESULTS: All wound surface healed completely. No complications (systemic and local) were found. After 4-6 months follow-up on average, the fracture healed well. There was significant difference in time of treatment, total cost of treatment and complication rate between 2 groups (P lt; 0.01). CONCLUSION: The VS procedure can drain the wound surface completely, decrease infection rate and stimulate the proliferation of granulation tissue. A combination of VS with emergency internal fixation is a simple and effective method in treatment of limbs open fracture and soft tissue dirty defects.
Soft tissue defects resulting from head and neck tumor resection seriously impact the physical appearance and psychological well-being of patients. The complex curvature of the human head and neck poses a formidable challenge for maxillofacial surgeons to achieve precise aesthetic and functional restoration after surgery. To this end, a normal head and neck volunteer was selected as the subject of investigation. Employing Gaussian curvature analysis, combined with mechanical constraints and principal curvature analysis methods of soft tissue clinical treatment, a precise developable/non-developable area partition map of the head and neck surface was obtained, and a non-developable surface was constructed. Subsequently, a digital design method was proposed for the repair of head and neck soft tissue defects, and an in vitro simulated surgery experiment was conducted. Clinical verification was performed on a patient with tonsil tumor, and the results demonstrated that digital technology-designed flaps improved the accuracy and aesthetic outcome of head and neck soft tissue defect repair surgery. This study validates the feasibility of digital precision repair technology for soft tissue defects after head and neck tumor resection, which effectively assists surgeons in achieving precise flap transplantation reconstruction and improves patients’ postoperative satisfaction.
Objective To discuss the clinical effect of repairing soft tissue defects in cnemis,ankle and foot with calf and sural distal fasciocutaneous flaps. Methods From August 1998 to July 2004, 34 cases of soft tissue defects in cnemis, ankles and feet were repaired with calf and sural distal fasciocutaneous flaps. There were 27 males and 7 females, aging from 17 to 61 years and the disease course was 4 hours to 8 months. The locations were metainferior segment of cnemis in 18 cases, ankle and foot in 11cases, weight loading region of calcar pedis in 5 cases. There were 13 cases chronic osteomyelitis in tibia or calcaneal bone, 8 cases of raw surface was infected, 3 cases of bone exposure.The sizes of the flap ranged from 6 cm×4 cm to 15 cm×12 cm. Results Thirty-one flaps survived except 3 cases which had partial necrosis. They were followed up from 6 months to 12 months. Both the quality and the appearance of the flaps were satisfactory. The blood supply and function of cnemis, ankle and foot returned to normal. Conclusion It is a convenient, simple and reliable method to repair softtissue defects in cnemis, ankle and foot with calf and sural distal fasciocutaneous flaps,without sacrifice of major arteries and with high survival rate and beautiful outlook form of skin flaps.