What are the different types of skin flaps?
The four major types of local flaps include the advancement flap (moves directly forward with no lateral movement), the rotation flap (rotates around a pivot point to be positioned into an adjacent defect), the transposition flap (moves laterally in relation to a pivot point to be positioned into an adjacent defect) …
What are muscle flaps commonly called?
The flap most commonly used is the pectoralis major based on the thoracoacromial artery. The flap may be used with overlying chest wall skin or as a muscle-fascial flap.
What is the purpose of a muscle flap?
The muscle flap uses only muscle for defect coverage. It is used primarily to provide a well-vascularized soft tissue that is relatively resistant to infection, helps wounds heal, and offers a vascularized surface for skin grafts. The muscle flap is commonly used to eradicate infection and to revascularize bone.
Where is the myocutaneous flap?
Head and Neck. The pectoralis myocutaneous flap can be designed with a skin paddle centered over the lower portion of the muscle. It can be used to resurface the neck, cheek, oral cavity, palate, tonsillar area, and nasopharynx, tongue, floor of mouth, mandible, and cervical area.
What is the difference between a skin flap and skin graft?
What’s the difference between a graft and a flap? A graft is just the skin without a blood supply, whereas a flap is transferred with its blood supply intact. With a flap, larger amounts of tissue can be used, including muscle if required. Some reconstructions need both a flap and a graft.
How does a skin flap work?
In most cases, the skin remains partially attached to the body, creating a “flap”. The flap is then repositioned and stitched over the damaged area. For more complex reconstruction, a technique called a free flap is used.
What is the difference between skin graft and skin flap?
What is Musculocutaneous flap of latissimus dorsi?
The latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap or myofascial flap is a useful technique with many head, neck, and torso reconstruction applications. When there is a large soft-tissue defect of the head and neck or torso that requires pliable soft tissue for reconstruction, the latissimus flap is an excellent option.
What is the difference between a skin graft and a skin flap?
A graft is just the skin without a blood supply, whereas a flap is transferred with its blood supply intact. With a flap, larger amounts of tissue can be used, including muscle if required. Some reconstructions need both a flap and a graft.
Which is better flap or graft?
Skin flaps are thought to provide better cosmetic results than skin grafting (Fig. 5), as the skin tone and texture are usually better matched.
Where do skin flaps come from?
A skin flap consists of skin and subcutaneous tissue that survives based on its own blood supply. Skin flaps are classified by the source and pattern of that blood supply. The most basic skin flaps are based on the nonspecific, or “random,” blood supply of the subdermal plexus.
Why flaps are used surgery?
Flap surgery is necessary to cover open deep wounds in patients with burns or accident victims. It is used when the wound or injury is associated with major tissue loss and deeper structures are exposed like the bone, cartilage, tendon, joint, major blood vessels or nerves.
Do skin flaps need stitches?
Skin grafts and flaps are only used if the skin edge of the wound cannot be simply stitched together. Wounds can be left to heal by themselves or partially stitched but this may result in a more noticeable scar.
What is Bipedicled flap?
Bipedicled flaps are random but receive a blood supply from two pedicles, allowing the surgeon to use local tissue with an augmented nutrient blood flow. They are simple to elevate and economical in operating time.
What is an islanded flap?
island flap a flap consisting of skin and subcutaneous tissue, with a pedicle made up of only the nutrient vessels. jump flap one cut from the abdomen and attached to a flap of the same size on the forearm. The forearm flap is transferred later to some other part of the body to fill a defect there.
What is an Osteocutaneous flap?
An osteocutaneous flap is a bone-containing flap with elements of skin, subcutaneous tissue, or fascia with a defined axial blood supply. Osteomusculocutaneous flaps have a muscle component in addition to the bone and skin.