OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical efficacy of free latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flaps in repairing large and deep skin and soft tissue defects around the knee joints.

METHODSTwenty-five patients with large and deep skin and soft tissue defects around the knee joints were hospitalized from March 2005 to March 2014. The area of defects around the knee joints ranged from 10 cm × 8 cm to 43 cm × 23 cm. The free latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flaps were used to repair the defects, with the area ranging from 12 cm × 10 cm to 45 cm × 25 cm. The thoracodorsal artery and its concomitant vein of the musculocutaneous flap were anastomosed to the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and its concomitant vein respectively to reconstruct blood supply. Split-thickness skin grafts around the flap donor sites were harvested to cover the muscle surface of the musculocutaneous flaps. The flap donor sites were closed directly with suture, and the skin donor sites were healed by dressing change.

RESULTSAll the 25 flaps survived without vascular crisis. The flaps were in satisfactory appearance. The flap donor sites were healed with linear scar. All the patients were followed up for 3 to 6 months. At last, they were able to stand up and walk.

CONCLUSIONSThe free latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap transplantation is an effective treatment for the repair of large and deep soft tissue defects around the knee joints, and the descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery and its concomitant vein are the appropriate recipient vessels.