Supermicrosurgical reconstruction of knee defect using superior medial genicular perforator as a recipient vessel

Abstract

A 24-year-old male presented after being involved in a motorcycle accident and was found to have soft tissue defects of the knee with exposure of patella. Due to the severe injury from the popliteal fossa to the posterior aspects of the lower leg, repair with a free flap from anterolateral thigh perforator was planned instead of local calf muscle flap Preoperative angiography was performed, and it showed that superior medial genicular perforator was patent compared with unreliable filling of the superior lateral genicular perforator. The soft tissue defect was repaired using the superior medial genicular perforator as the recipient vessel. This was performed by creating perforator to perforator anastomosis (supermicrosurgery). The flap survived successfully, and the patient was able to ambulate in a few weeks without serious complications. This case indicates that superior medial genicular perforator can be used as the recipient vessel for covering the soft tissue defects of the knee caused by blunt injury.

Keywords

Soft tissue defect of the knee / superior medial genicular perforator / supermicrosurgery

References

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