Blood Perfusion of the Free Anterolateral Thigh Perforator Flap: Its Beneficial Effect in the Reconstruction of Infected Wounds in the Lower Extremity

Abstract

Apart from the mandatory role of thorough debridement, our results indicate that the ALT flap offers rich blood supply to the recipient area, thus contributing to the sterilization and healing of an infected wound within a short time period.

Aesthetic restoration of Poland's syndrome in a male patient using free anterolateral thigh perforator flap as autologous filler

“…The ALT perforator flap can ensure negligible donor site morbidity and acceptable thigh scarring in a male patient. 14,17 The use of a dermo-adiposal perforator flap as a filler in our case resulted in well defined anterior axillary fold and addressed the chest contour deformity.…”

“…Borschel et al 7 improved this method using a two-stage endoscopically-assisted approach. We further modified the endoscopic-assisted technique 14 ensuring more predictable result and minimal scarring. Nevertheless, the drawback of the procedure is the functional morbidity associated with the muscle harvesting that could be noticeable in young patients with sport activities.…”

Customized reconstruction with the free anterolateral thigh perforator flap

“…4,[6][7][8][9][10][13][14][15]17,19,[32][33][34][35][36]38 It sends perforators through the septum between the vastus lateralis and the rectus femoris or through the vastus lateralis muscle and supplies a large skin flap on the anterolateral aspect of the thigh. If a visible septocutaneous perforator is found, the flap can be harvested as a septocutaneous flap.…”

“…7,22,23 Advantages of the free ALT flap, such as a long pedicle, reliable anatomy, [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] suitable vessel diameter, the availability of different tissues with large amounts of skin, skin-to-skin closure, its adaptability as a sensate and/or compound (composite and combined) flap, 9 adaptable volume and thickness, 34 no repositioning of the patient during operation and simultaneously working in two teams, and good esthetic outcome, are well known. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][32][33][34][35][36] Disadvantages such as challenging dissection of musculocutaneous perforators with a prolonged operation time and unsatisfactorily esthetic outcome if the donor site has to be skin-grafted were taken deliberately into consideration.…”

Reconstruction of the weight‐bearing surface of the foot with integra‐grafted latissimus dorsi muscle flap

“…It is our practice to use sensate free ALT flap 1,2 if the thickness of the thigh donor area permits the harvesting of a pliable, thin flap. Nevertheless, split-skin grafted muscle flaps have been claimed to be more stable than fasciocutaneous flaps because they are easily contoured to the recipient area and permit less movement against the underlying skeletal structures, resembling the sole of the foot.…”