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Altogether, the authors' results indicate that the blood supply of the lateral femoral condyle flap is consistent and the lateral femoral condyle flap could serve as a free composite flap for complex indications in hand or limb reconstructive surgery. Clinical studies to compare the lateral femoral condyle to other well-established microsurgical free flaps are warranted.

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Background. The demanding anatomic and mechanical requirements make the reconstruction of long tracheal defects challenging. Multiple attempts at replacing tracheal segments are described, including the use of autologous, allogeneic, and synthetic tissues. However, the multilayer structure of the trachea and its function as a conduit for air had generally resulted in the use of nonvascularized tissue and/or multistage procedures. Methods. The authors report on a 1-stage autologous reconstruction using local skin flaps for inner lining and a free medial femoral condyle corticoperiosteal-cutaneous (FCCPC) flap for the remaining layers. The skin island directly located over the FCCPC flap serves as an external coverage of the tracheal reconstruction.Results. Within the follow-up, the reconstructed trachea has retained its shape, diameter, and airway function. No notable stenosis or instability was observed. Conclusion. This concept combines ideal biological and mechanical tissue properties, offering the potential to meet the reconstructive requirements for extended tracheal defects.

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Our goal was to describe a laryngeal-preserving single-stage procedure for the treatment of low-grade chondrosarcomas of the larynx: a total cricoidectomy with medial femoral condyle flap reconstruction. The study was designed as a case series of three consecutive patients with low-grade chondrosarcomas of the cricoid cartilage lamina, diameter 4.4, 5.2, 3.8 cm, respectively, who underwent total cricoidectomy in 2012. Single-staged reconstruction of the defect with medial femoral condyle flap including the periosteum and thin underlying cortical layer of the bone was conducted. Oncologic and functional results were observed during 3 years of follow-up. No evidence of tumor recurrence was detected during follow-up. One month after surgery, all patients were able to tolerate a soft diet and to speak satisfactorily. None of the patients reported aspiration after surgery nor experienced aspiration-related problems, which was confirmed by means of the Leipzig-Pearson scale. The speech ability was good, maximum phonation time was 14, 18, 21 s, respectively, and the voice handicap index scores ranged from 24 to 36 and had improved noticeably at 1, 3 and 6 months follow-up. Two patients were ultimately decannulated, and one female still has a tracheostomy; however, she is able to keep the tracheostoma closed for most of the time, maintaining good phonatory and swallowing functions. Total cricoidectomy with reconstruction by means of medial femoral condyle flap may replace the total laryngectomy in large low-grade chondrosarcomas of the cricoid cartilage.

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