Reconstruction of popliteal fossa with serial tissue expansion

Abstract

The case of a 16-year-old girl with a contracted scar on the popliteal fossa which impaired full extension of her left leg is reported together with the management of the case. Two serial skin expansions with an expander placed in the posterior proximal third of the leg were performed. The scar was completely excised and covered with the expanded skin. The result was fully successful, allowing full extension of the leg, and the aesthetic appearance was improved.

The Versatility of the Pedicled Medial Sural Artery Perforator Flap: From Simple to Its Chimeric Pattern and Clinical Experience with 37 Cases

“…21 Different techniques have been described to treat these types of defects, such as skin grafting and expanders; local flaps such as the gastrocnemius muscle flap, lateral sural fasciocutaneous artery island flap, or pedicled peroneal artery flap; and more complex free tissue transfer (free latissimus dorsi or anterolateral thigh flap). [22][23][24][25][26] However, many of these reconstructive options are limited in their use because of their insufficient size, mechanical properties, or complex recipient vessel situation. 26 Similar to defects of the knee and popliteal fossa, the loss of soft tissue in the upper third of the lower leg is difficult to cover because there is limited availability of excess tissue in adjacent locations.…”