Objective:To investigate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of the bilobed anterolateral femoral perforator flap pidicled with the oblique branch of lateral femoral circumflex artery in repair of the wounds in extremities.Methods:A study was conducted on 36 patients with complex limb wounds from December, 2014 to May, 2020. Thirty patients had single-wound sized from 10.0 cm×10.0 cm to 23.0 cm×17.0 cm, and 6 patients had 2 adjacent and discontinuous wounds sized from 4.0 cm×5.0 cm to 11.0 cm×9.0 cm. A total of 78 perforators were identified in routine preoperative CDU examination, and 67 perforators were confirmed. According to the actual requirement of the perforator confirmed in surgery, 19 flaps were designed with completely split up into bilobed flaps and 17 bilobed fascial flaps were designed with segmented skin and deep fascia. The blood supply of flaps relies on the anastomosis of oblique branch with the recipient vessels, therefore bridged blood Flow-through anastomosis was performed in 8 flaps. All thigh donor sites were sutured directly. Regular follow-up were made after surgery.Results:In this group, 35 cases of bilobed flaps survived successfully. Venous crisis was found in 1 case of flap repairing 2 wounds after the operation and was relieved 7 days later by remove some stitches and bloodletting. The donor sites healed by first intension, and the wound healing time was 11-83 days. All patients were followed-up for 6-39 months. The flaps had good colour and texture with S 2-S 3 sensory. All the donor sites left linear scars except 1 where left with a large scar without contracture and pain. Conclusion:The repair of the wounds in extremities by bilobed anterolateral thigh perforator flaps pedicled with the oblique branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery could obtain a more concealed donor site. It acts as a beneficial supplement when a bilobed flap cannot be harvested on the descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of an "ABC" three line perforator locating method in design and harvest of free anterolateral perforator flap of calf.Methods:Between March 2021 and November 2021, 42 patients with 62 wounds on hand and foot were treated in the Department of Hand Surgery, Suzhou Ruihua Orthopaedic Hospital. The "ABC" three line perforator locating method was applied to determine the location and source of perforating branch before operation and to guide the design and harvest of flap during operation in wound reconstruction. Among the 42 patients, 24 had the injury of single digit, 7 had the injuries with 2 digits, 4 with 3 digits, 1 with 4 digits, 1 of the first web, 1 in the wrist, 2 of the great toe, 1 of second toe and 1 in dorsal foot. The sizes of soft tissue defect were 1.5 cm×2.0 cm-3.0 cm×14.0 cm. The sizes of the flaps were 2.0 cm×2.5 cm-3.5 cm×15.0 cm. All donor sites were sutured directly. In the follow-up, sensations of flaps were evaluated following the sensory function evaluation standard of British Medical Research Council(BMRC), and the recovery of the donor and recipient sites was evaluated by the flap comprehensive evaluation scale. Regular follow-up were scheduled at outpatient clinic.Results:A total of 162 perforators were located before operation. There were 95 perforating branches being explored in the operation, of which 5 patients had 1 extra perforating branch than that located before surgery. Seventy-six perforating branches were found consistent with preoperative localisation, with a coincidence rate of 84.4%(76/90). Sixty-four perforating branches were found consistent with the preoperative source with an accuracy rate of 84.2%(64/76). All the 62 flaps survived without a vascular compromise. Follow-up lasted for 6-10(mean 7.1) months. The colour and texture of the flaps were excellent. The flaps were thin and wear-resistant. The sensory function of the flaps was evaluated at S 1-S 3 by BMRC. Comprehensive evaluation scale of flap was excellent in 38 patients and good in 4 patients. Conclusion:"ABC" three line perforator locating method in design of free anterolateral calf flap is a feasible and an ideal auxiliary method in surgical practice. It combines anatomical knowledge, clinical experience and Doppler ultrasound localisation as well as accurately guides the location and source prediction of perforator before surgery.

Objective:The morphological characteristics of the oblique branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) were observed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in order to provide imaging basis in the application of the ALTF pedicled with the oblique branch of LCFA.Methods:Between February, 2020 and December,2020, for the patients who were requested to repair the wound with ALTF, a DSA radiography was performed before operation. A total of 197 sides of selective DSA were analysed in 113 patients. The occurrence rate, origin and course of the oblique branch of LCFA were observed. Relationships between the oblique branch of LCFA and the upper cutaneous branch, descending branch and transverse branch were analysed. In addition, in order to verify the accuracy of conventional DSA data in describing the morphological characteristics of oblique branches, 10 sites of 10 patients were randomly selected to perform rotational DSA three-dimensional imaging.Results:Femoral artery, deep femoral artery, LCFA and the branches of LCFA were clearly identified on DSA images. The oblique branch appeared in 190 sites, with a occurence rate of 96%. Among them, 1 oblique branch originated from the femoral artery, 2 from the deep femoral artery, and other 187 from LCFA. The oblique branches were found in 10 sites from rotational DSA three-dimensional imaging, which was consistent with conventional DSA imaging.Conclusion:The occurrence rate and morphological characteristics of the oblique branch of LCFA can be directly analysed by DSA. The oblique branch is not a variant branch as reported in the literatures, as it always appears. It may serve the main blood supply artery of the anterolateral thigh flap.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and clinical outcome of anterolateral thigh flaps (ALTF) based on the transverse branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) as the source artery in the repair of soft tissue defects of the extremities.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted to analyze the clinical data from patients who received the ALTF pedicled with the transverse branch of the LCFA to repair the wounds of the extremities from April 2020 to March 2021 at Ruihua Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Preoperative Doppler ultrasound was applied to locate the perforators in the anterolateral thigh area. The ALTF was prepared based on the traditional method, and the perforators were found to be too thin to meet the requirements of vascular anastomosis. The incision was extended superiorly, and the designated perforators were found in the upper segment; thus, the flap was harvested accordingly. The ALTF pedicled with the transverse branch of the LCFA was finally harvested for wound reconstruction. The donor site was directly drawn and sutured. The wound healing of the donor site and the survival rate of the flap were recorded. The comprehensive evaluation scale was used to evaluate the repair effect, which was classified as excellent (90-100 points), good (75-89 points), fair (60-74 points), and poor (<60 points).Results:Thirteen patients with extremity trauma were enrolled in the study, which consisted of nine males and four females. The age range was between 20 and 65 years old. There were 4 cases of hand/forearm wounds and 9 cases of foot/ankle wounds among the patients. The area of soft tissue defects was approximately 7 cm×4 cm to 31 cm×8 cm. Eighteen perforators from the transverse branches of the LCFA, including ten septocutaneous perforators and eight direct cutaneous perforators, were observed in thirteen surgeries. The area of flaps ranged 8 cm×6 cm to 32 cm×10 cm. One flap exhibited arterial crisis, which was relieved after thrombectomy and re-anastomosis of the injured segment; the flap survived. Other flaps survived completely. Thirteen patients were followed up for 6-20 months, and both flaps were soft in texture and good in appearance. In addition, there were no serious complications at the donor site. Finally, the curative effects of the ALTF pedicled with the transverse branch of the LCFA were estimated according to the flap comprehensive evaluation scale. Four cases obtained excellent curative effects, seven cases had good prognoses, and the effects of the remaining two cases were acceptable.Conclusions:The ALTF pedicled with the transverse branch of the LCFA can be used to repair soft tissue defects of the extremities, with a good prognosis obtained; meanwhile, the anatomy of the perforators is simple, and the donor area is relatively inconspicuous. The flap can be a useful supplement to the conventional ALTF.

Objective To observe the changes of memory function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury(mTBI),and to explore the correlation between functional connection(FC)changes and montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scale scores in the mTBI cohort.Methods Thirty-nine patients with acute mTBI and 39 healthy controls were prospectively collected.All subjects underwent rs-fMRI scans,and FC values were calculated in both groups.Results Compared with healthy controls,the FC of the left posterior cingulate cortex,the left cuneus and the right calcarine fissure were enhanced.The FC of the left orbital superior frontal gyrus with the right superior temporal gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus was enhanced,and the FC of the right parahippocampal gyrus with the right medial and lateral cingulate gyrus,right thalamus and right caudate nucleus was weakened.Correlation analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between MoCA scale score and FC based on DMN network nodes.Conclusion The DMN network was damaged in patients with acute mTBI,and the memory function was impaired.In addition,no correlation was found between FC abnormalities and MoCA scale scores in this study

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and clinical outcome of anterolateral thigh flaps (ALTF) based on the transverse branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) as the source artery in the repair of soft tissue defects of the extremities.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted to analyze the clinical data from patients who received the ALTF pedicled with the transverse branch of the LCFA to repair the wounds of the extremities from April 2020 to March 2021 at Ruihua Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Preoperative Doppler ultrasound was applied to locate the perforators in the anterolateral thigh area. The ALTF was prepared based on the traditional method, and the perforators were found to be too thin to meet the requirements of vascular anastomosis. The incision was extended superiorly, and the designated perforators were found in the upper segment; thus, the flap was harvested accordingly. The ALTF pedicled with the transverse branch of the LCFA was finally harvested for wound reconstruction. The donor site was directly drawn and sutured. The wound healing of the donor site and the survival rate of the flap were recorded. The comprehensive evaluation scale was used to evaluate the repair effect, which was classified as excellent (90-100 points), good (75-89 points), fair (60-74 points), and poor (<60 points).Results:Thirteen patients with extremity trauma were enrolled in the study, which consisted of nine males and four females. The age range was between 20 and 65 years old. There were 4 cases of hand/forearm wounds and 9 cases of foot/ankle wounds among the patients. The area of soft tissue defects was approximately 7 cm×4 cm to 31 cm×8 cm. Eighteen perforators from the transverse branches of the LCFA, including ten septocutaneous perforators and eight direct cutaneous perforators, were observed in thirteen surgeries. The area of flaps ranged 8 cm×6 cm to 32 cm×10 cm. One flap exhibited arterial crisis, which was relieved after thrombectomy and re-anastomosis of the injured segment; the flap survived. Other flaps survived completely. Thirteen patients were followed up for 6-20 months, and both flaps were soft in texture and good in appearance. In addition, there were no serious complications at the donor site. Finally, the curative effects of the ALTF pedicled with the transverse branch of the LCFA were estimated according to the flap comprehensive evaluation scale. Four cases obtained excellent curative effects, seven cases had good prognoses, and the effects of the remaining two cases were acceptable.Conclusions:The ALTF pedicled with the transverse branch of the LCFA can be used to repair soft tissue defects of the extremities, with a good prognosis obtained; meanwhile, the anatomy of the perforators is simple, and the donor area is relatively inconspicuous. The flap can be a useful supplement to the conventional ALTF.

Objective:To explore the anatomical characteristics of the anterolateral thigh perforator flap pedicled with oblique branch trunk of lateral circumflex femoral artery in the muscular septum and the clinical effect of this flap in repairing skin and soft tissue defects in the extremities.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted. From December 2020 to April 2021, 59 patients with skin and soft tissue defects in the extremities admitted to the Department of Hand Surgery of Suzhou Ruihua Orthopaedic Hospital met the inclusion criteria, including 46 males and 13 females, aged 20 to 81 years. The wound area after debridement ranged from 8 cm×5 cm to 38 cm×20 cm. According to the condition of the wound, the perforators in the anterolateral femoral region on the unaffected side were located by color Doppler ultrasound. The anterolateral thigh perforator flap with the oblique branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery as the source artery was designed, and the wound was repaired by unilateral flap or series combination of bilateral flaps (with the area of unilateral flap ranging from 7 cm×5 cm to 37 cm×11 cm). The wound of the donor site was sutured directly. The following items were recorded, including the number of perforators in the anterolateral femoral region marked before operation, the course characteristics of oblique branch trunk of lateral circumflex femoral artery and its perforators, and the number, origin, and type of perforators observed during operation, the flap repair mode and the flap harvest time. After operation, the survival condition of the flap, the wound healing time in the recipient site, and the suture healing in the donor area were observed, and the recovery of the donor and recipient areas was followed up. At the last follow-up, the sensation function evaluated by sensory rating scale of British Medical Research Association and two-point discrimination of the area transplanted with flap were recorded, and the improved comprehensive curative effect evaluation scale of flap was used to evaluate the repair effect of the flap.Results:A total of 156 perforators were marked in the anterolateral femoral region before operation, and 144 perforators were observed during the operation, of which 98 came from the oblique branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery, and the first perforator of the oblique branch was the intermuscular septal perforator. Once formed, most oblique branch trunk of lateral circumflex femoral artery in the muscular septum could be divided into the deep branch and the superficial branch at the middle and upper 1/3 junction of the line between the anterior superior iliac spine and the lateral edge of the patella, the deep branch mainly ran in the muscle of vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis, and rarely developed the skin perforators, while the superficial branch mainly ran in the muscular septum between the rectus femoris and the vastus lateralis, and grew out the perforators to the proximal skin of the anterolateral femoral region. Fifty-six patients were repaired with unilateral flap and 3 patients with bilateral flap in series combination, with the harvesting time of the unilateral flap ranged from 9 to 99 min. Three patients developed arterial crisis within 48 hours after operation and survived after timely exploration; the flap of 1 patient developed necrosis 11 days after operation and was repaired by abdominal split-thickness skin graft; the other flaps survived smoothly. The wound healing time in the recipient area was 10 to 42 days after operation, and the sutures in the donor area healed well. During the follow-up of 6 to 10 months, 8 patients underwent thinning and plastic surgery 6 months after operation because of bloating in the flap transplantation area, while the other patients had a good shape of the flap transplantation area, with no deep tissue infection such as osteomyelitis, with soft texture, good elasticity, no pain, and good blood circulation; all the donor areas were left with linear scars, normal blood circulation in the distal extremities, no limitation of knee joint motion or quadriceps muscle strength. At the last follow-up, the sensation function was restored in the flap transplantation area of the affected limb, including 14 cases of S 1 grade and 45 cases of S 2 grade; there was only one point of two-point discrimination; the curative effect evaluation of flap repair included excellent in 24 cases, good in 35 cases, and general in 3 cases. Conclusions:The anterolateral thigh perforator flap pedicled with oblique branch trunk of lateral circumflex femoral artery in the muscular septum has the advantages of relatively concealed donor area, large cutting width, and simple operation during surgery. It protects the donor area to the greatest extent while repairing skin and soft tissue defects in the extremities, and is a useful supplement to the classic anterolateral thigh perforator flap.

Objective:To investigate the curative effects of the superficial peroneal artery perforator flap carrying two and more homologous perforators in repairing hand and foot wounds.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted. From January to September 2021, 23 patients with hand and foot wounds combined with bone or tendon exposure who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Suzhou Ruihua Orthopaedic Hospital, including 16 males and 7 females, aged 23 to 68 years. After expansion of the wound, the wound area was 3.0 cm×2.0 cm to 11.0 cm×4.0 cm. All the wounds were repaired with the superficial peroneal artery perforator flap carrying two and more homologous perforators. The area of the resected flap was 4.0 cm×2.0 cm to 12.0 cm×5.0 cm. All the wounds in donor areas were sutured directly. During the operation, the resection of the flap, the number and caliber of carried perforators, the caliber of superficial peroneal artery, the length of vascular pedicle, and the number of accompanying veins of the superficial peroneal artery were recorded. The survival of the flap, the occurrence of complications, and the wound healing in the donor area were observed after operation. The recovery of the donor and recipient areas was followed up. At the last follow-up, the comprehensive evaluation scale was used to evaluate the curative effect of flap repair, and the sensory grading scale was used to evaluate the sensory function of the recipient area.Results:Totally 24 flaps were successfully resected in surgical operations, carrying 56 superficial peroneal artery perforators in total, with the caliber of perforators of 0.20-0.70 mm. The calibers of all perforators carried by 7 flaps were smaller than 0.40 mm. Nineteen flaps carried 2 perforators each, 3 flaps carried 3 perforators each, 1 flap carried 4 perforators, and 1 flap carried 5 perforators. During the operation, the superficial peroneal artery was resected with a caliber of 0.40-1.50 mm, the vascular pedicle was 2-6 cm in length, and each superficial peroneal artery had two accompanying veins. After operation, all the flaps survived smoothly, no vascular crisis or distal necrosis occurred, and the wounds healed well in the donor area. During the follow-up of 6 to 10 months after operation, the color, texture, and elasticity of the recipient area were good. Among them, 6 recipient areas were thinned and reshaped because of bloating. There was only linear scar and no obvious scar hyperplasia or pigmentation in the donor area, without significant change in sensory or motor function. At the last follow-up, the curative effect evaluation of flap repair was excellent in 22 flaps and good in 2 flaps, and the sensory function evaluation of the recipient area was grade S 3 in 1 area and grade S 2 in 23 areas. Conclusions:The superficial peroneal artery perforator flap with two and more homologous perforators has sufficient and reliable blood supply and is effective in repairing hand and foot wounds. It provides an ideal solution for the clinical problem in which the original operation scheme is abandoned due to the existence of only multiple slender perforators of caliber smaller than 0.40 mm, and only a single perforator in the operative field that cannot satisfy the needs of the flap blood supply and recipient area.

Objective:To investigate clinical effects of anterolateral thigh flap with blood supply source of medial femoral perforator in repairing the wounds on extremities.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted. From October 2018 to June 2021, Suzhou Ruihua Orthopedic Hospital admitted 12 patients (11 males and 1 female, aged 24-64 years) who met the inclusion criteria, and did not have the lateral circumflex femoral artery during anterolateral thigh flap resection, or changed to medial femoral perforator as a source of blood supply due to small perforator to repair the wound with flap transplantation. The wounds were on the upper limbs in 7 cases and on the lower limbs in 5 cases. The wound area after debridement was 8.0 cm×5.0 cm-24.0 cm×6.5 cm, and the applied flap area was 9 cm×6 cm-25 cm×7 cm. During transplantation, the perforating branch or source artery of the flap was anastomosed end to end with the vascular pedicle of the recipient area. Subcutaneous beauty suture was performed on all the donor wounds. After operation, the survival of the flap and vascular crisis were observed; and the wound healing at the donor site was observed. During follow-up, the texture of the flap and complications at the donor site were observed. At the last follow-up, the effect of flap repair was evaluated by using the modified self-made comprehensive efficacy rating table.Results:After operation, all the flaps of patients survived without vascular crisis; the wounds in the donor site healed smoothly. During follow-up of 6 to 26 months, the flaps had good texture; only linear scars remained in the donor area without scar contracture, pain or other discomfort. At the last follow-up, the total score of flap repair effect of 12 patients was 75-95, with an average of 87, of which 5 cases were rated as excellent, 6 cases as good, and 1 case as fair, and the proportion of excellent and good patients was 11/12.Conclusions:The application of anterolateral thigh flap with blood supply from the medial femoral perforator to repair wounds on extremities is an alternative method for the vascular variations such as no descending branch, oblique branch, or small perforator of the lateral circumflex femoral artery during the resection of the anterolateral thigh flap. This operation has the advantages of simple operation, small trauma, and others, which effectively ensures the smooth operation.

Objective:To explore the safety and feasibility of Da Vinci robotic-assisted laparoscopic resection in treatment of liver benign tumors.Methods:The clinical data of 62 patients with liver benign tumors admitted to Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2016 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into 2 groups: 25 cases undergoing Da Vinci robotic-assisted laparoscopic resection (the robotic group) and 37 cases undergoing conventional laparoscopic resection for liver benign tumors (the laparoscopic group). The operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative abdominal drainage tube removal time, incidence of postoperative complications, postoperative hospital stay time of both groups were compared.Results:Operations of all 62 patients were successfully completed. The operation time of the robotic group was longer than that of the laparoscopic group [(192±52) min vs. (158±41) min], intraoperative blood loss of the robotic group was less than that of the laparoscopic group [(159±67) ml vs.(213±59) ml], and differences were statistically significant between the two groups (both P < 0.05). The postoperative abdominal drainage tube removal time of the robotic group and the laparoscopic group was (7.0±1.5) d and (7.2±1.3) d, the incidence of postoperative complications was 8.0% (2/25) and 5.4% (2/37), and the postoperative hospital stay time was (7.0±2.4) d and (7.3±2.2) d, respectively; and differences were statistically significant between both groups (all P > 0.05). Conclusion:Da Vinci robotic-assisted laparoscopic resection is a safe and effective operation method in treatment of liver benign tumors with advantages of small wound and less blood loss.