The use of the medial femoral condyle free flap is a versatile option for the treatment of upper extremity non unions and reconstructive procedures associated with bone loss or osteonecrosis. The benefit of this type of flap is the viability of the bone which favors primary ossification and increases bone density. Vascularized free bone flaps are especially useful for the treatment of recalcitrant nonunions, or nonunions that have failed three or more treatments to obtain consolidation. We present a case series of three patients treated with medial femoral condyle free flap for reconstruction of the upper extremity of different etiologies at the level of the distal humerus, distal radius and distal phalanx of the thumb.
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is widely used in skin defects, active infection, and surgical reconstruction; lately, it is being used after skin graft to improve the adhesion on the receptor area. During the last decade, another indication has been identified: the use of NPTW to avoid complications after free flaps such as venous congestion and the risk of necrosis. NPWT can be used in the initial complication of a free flap, and the venous congestions can be treated with this technique, with very good outcomes. NPWT can be established as a part of a postoperative protocol in microsurgical procedures to avoid major complications.
This is a 39-year-old male, fell from a bike, left wrist with trans-styloid perilunate fracture dislocation that underwent open reduction internal fixation, 20 months after surgery the patient developed avascular necrosis of the lunate, final wrist fusion was performed secondary to the arthritic changes on the wrist. Anatomic dissection was performed and vascularity of the lunate was identified, its origin is from the volar palmar arch, when dislocated palmarly and more than 90 degrees the vessel is still intact. More than 512 patients with perilunate dislocation and perilunate fracture dislocation are included we identified in the literature transient avascular necrosis of the lunate in nine and seventeen of pure avascular necrosis of the lunate. Concluding that avascular necrosis of the lunate after perilunate dislocation or perilunate fracture dislocation is an infrequent finding especially when the volar ligaments are intact.
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