BACKGROUND:Open fracture of lower limb with severe soft tissue and bone defects also accompanies anterior tibial soft tissue defects and exposure of sclerotin and steel plate, which can be crucial y treated with strong fixation and use of skin flap to block the wound.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the clinical efficacy of a large area of soft tissue defects in the anterior tibia using vacuum sealing drainage combined with groin free flap.
METHODS:A total of 24 patients with a large area of soft tissue defects in the anterior tibia were included in this study and then divided into two groups, with 12 cases in each group. In vacuum sealing drainage group, the scope of soft tissue defects was ranged from 10 cm×15 cm to 15 cm×20 cm. After the debridement, the fracture was fixed with external fixation scaffold and the wound was covered with the vacuum sealing drainage dressing. The blood clot was rinsed with normal saline via T-tube, and 7-10 days later the vacuum sealing drainage was given. According to the growth of granulation tissue, the wound was secondarily sutured, fol owed by groin free skin flap of superficial iliac circumflex artery with medial knee arteriovenous anastomosis transplantation. In the non-vacuum sealing drainage group, the wound size was ranged from 10 cm×5 cm to 30 cm×20 cm, the period from injury to admission was 1-24 hours. They were given conventional debridement and secondary fixation or skin flap transplantation.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The length of preoperative hospital stay and the skin flap are in vacuum sealing drainage group were significantly better than those in non-vacuum sealing drainage group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the length of postoperative stay and total length of hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). The wound infection rate was 0 in vacuum sealing drainage group and 75%in non-vacuum sealing drainage group at 8-14 days after treatment. The wound and donor area incision were healed at I stage, the skin grafts survived. Al the involved patients in two groups were fol owed up, for 6-36 months. During the fol ow-up process, the fracture healing time in non-vacuum sealing drainage group was significantly longer than that in vacuum sealing drainage group. The skin flap in two groups was similar to surrounding skin in color and texture, the flap exhibited no vessels, no ulceration, and no clumsy. The vacuum sealing drainage combined with groin free flap can timely control a large area of soft tissue defects post-trauma, improve wound blood supply, shorten preoperative preparation time, early close the wound, significantly promote the healing of wound and fracture. The skin flap is soft, flexible, wel-looking, and active functional, it significantly shortens the course of treatment and maximizes the recovery of limb function.