BACKGROUND:The optimal number of veins to be anastomosed in perforator flaps for limb reconstruction and its influence on the results remain controversial. Venous thrombosis of microvascular anastomoses is a commonly recorded complication in soft tissue reconstruction. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of two venous anastomoses in the incidence of venous thrombosis for limb reconstruction using anterolateral thigh (ALT) microsurgical free flaps. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study on patients undergoing limb reconstruction using ALT flap during 2014-2017. Perioperative information was recorded and patients were divided in two groups: group 1 (one venous anastomosis; 17 patients) and group 2 (two venous anastomoses; 21 patients). Complications were investigated. RESULTS: Overall, 38 microsurgical flaps were included. The mean age was 33 years, and 32 patients were male. The most prevalent wounds were traumatic. Group 1 presented a higher complication rate than group 2 (47% vs. 24%; p = 0.065), although the difference was not significant. Group 1 presented a higher rate of venous anastomotic thrombosis (p = 0.032) than group 2. The overall success rate was 92%. CONCLUSION: For limb reconstruction using ALT microsurgical free flaps, two venous anastomoses are associated with a low rate of venous thrombosis in microvascular anastomoses.
Objectives:To describe the clinical utility of the Manchester triage scale adapted for orthopedic emergency departments and to evaluate its validity in identifying patients with the need for hospital care and its reliability when reproduced by different professionals.Methods:Five triage flowcharts were developed based on the Manchester scale for the following orthopedic disorders: traumatic injuries, joint pain, vertebral pain, postoperative disorders, and musculoskeletal infections. A series of patients triaged by two orthopedists was analyzed to assess the concordance between the evaluators (reliability) and the validity of the Manchester scale as predictive of severity.Results:The reliability analysis included 231 patients, with an inter-observer agreement of 84% (Kappa = 0.77, p <0.001). The validity analysis included 138 patients. The risk category had a strong association with the need for hospital care in patients with trauma (OR = 6.57, p = 0.001) and was not significant for non-traumatic disorders (OR = 2.42; p = 0.208). The overall sensitivity and specificity were 64% and 76%, respectively.Conclusion:The evaluated system presented high reliability. Its validity was adequate, with good sensitivity for identifying patients requiring hospital care among those with traumatic lesions. However, the sensitivity was low for patients with non-traumatic lesions. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Study.
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