OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical application of high-frequency color Doppler ultrasound (HFCDU) in detecting perforators in the deep adipose layers for harvesting super-thin anterolateral thigh flap (ALTF). METHODS: Between August 2019 and January 2023, 45 patients (46 sides) with skin and soft tissue defects in the foot and ankle were treated, including 29 males and 16 females, aged from 22 to 62 years, with an average of 46.7 years. The body mass index ranged from 19.6 to 36.2 kg/m ², with an average of 23.62 kg/m ². The causes of injury included traffic accident injury in 15 cases, heavy object crush injury in 20 cases, mechanical injury in 8 cases, heat crush injury in 1 case, and chronic infection in 1 case. There were 20 cases on the left side, 24 cases on the right side, and 1 case on both sides. After thorough debridement, the wound size ranged from 5 cm×4 cm to 17 cm×11 cm. All patients underwent free super-thin ALTF transplantation repair. HFCDU was used to detect the location of the perforators piercing the deep and superficial fascia, as well as the direction and branches of the perforators within the deep adipose layers before operation. According to the preoperative HFCDU findings, the dimensions of the super-thin ALTF ranged from 6 cm×4 cm to 18 cm×12 cm. The donor sites of the flaps were directly sutured. RESULTS: A total of 55 perforators were detected by HFCDU before operation, but 1 was not found during operation. During operation, a total of 56 perforators were found, and 2 perforators were not detected by HFCDU. The positive predictive value of HFCDU for identifying perforator vessels was 98.2%, and the sensitivity was 96.4%. Among the 54 perforators accurately located by HFCDU, the orientation of the perforators in the deep adipose layers was confirmed during operation. There were 21 perforators (38.9%) traveled laterally and inferiorly, 12 (22.2%) traveled medially and inferiorly, 14 (25.9%) traveled laterally and superiorly, 5 (9.3%) traveled medially and superiorly, and 2 (3.7%) ran almost vertically to the body surface. Among the 54 perforators accurately located by HFCDU, 35 were identified as type 1 perforators and 12 as type 2 perforators (HFCDU misidentified 7 type 2 perforators as type 1 perforators). The sensitivity of HFCDU in identifying type 1 perforators was 100%, with a positive predictive value of 83.3%. For type 2 perforators, the sensitivity was 63.2%, and the positive predictive value was 100%. The surgeries were successfully completed. The super-thin ALTF had a thickness ranging from 2 to 6 mm, with an average of 3.56 mm. All super-thin ALTF survived, however, 1 flap experienced a venous crisis at 1 day after operation, but it survived after emergency exploration and re-anastomosis of the veins; 1 flap developed venous crisis at 3 days after operation but survived after bleeding with several small incisions; 3 flaps had necrosis at the distal edge of the epidermis, which healed after undergoing dressing changes. All 45 patients were followed up 6-18 months (mean, 13.6 months). Three flaps required secondary defatting procedures, while the rest had the appropriate thickness, and the overall appearance was satisfactory. CONCLUSION Preoperative application of HFCDU to detect the perforator in the deep adipose layers can improve the success and safety of the procedure by facilitating the harvest of super-thin ALTF.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Thigh/surgery* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Prospective Studies ; Skin Transplantation ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Burns ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Crush Injuries/surgery* ; Perforator Flap ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of a foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap to repair soft tissue defects in the shoulder and back. METHODS: Between August 2018 and January 2023, the foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps were used to repair soft tissue defects in the shoulder and back of 8 patients. There were 5 males and 3 females with the age ranged from 21 to 56 years (mean, 35.4 years). Wounds were located in the shoulder in 2 cases and in the shoulder and back in 6 cases. The causes of injury were chronic infection of skin and bone exposure in 2 cases, secondary wound after extensive resection of skin and soft tissue tumor in 4 cases, and wound formation caused by traffic accident in 2 cases. Skin defect areas ranged from 14 cm×13 cm to 20 cm×16 cm. The disease duration ranged from 12 days to 1 year (median, 6.6 months). A pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was designed and harvested. The flap was divided into A/B flap and then were folded to repair the wound, with the donor area of the flap being pulled and sutured in one stage. RESULTS: All 7 flaps survived, with primary wound healing. One patient suffered from distal flap necrosis and delayed healing was achieved after dressing change. The incisions of all donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6 months to 4 years (mean, 24.7 months). The skin flap has a good appearance with no swelling in the pedicle. At last follow-up, 6 patients had no significant difference in bilateral shoulder joint motion, and 2 patients had a slight decrease in abduction range of motion compared with the healthy side. The patients' daily life were not affected, and linear scar was left in the donor site. CONCLUSION The foldable pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap is an ideal method to repair the soft tissue defect of shoulder and back with simple operation, less damage to the donor site, and quick recovery after operation.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Myocutaneous Flap/surgery* ; Shoulder/surgery* ; Skin Transplantation ; Superficial Back Muscles/transplantation* ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery* ; Wound Healing ; Treatment Outcome ; Perforator Flap

Metatarsal Bones/surgery* ; Thumb/abnormalities* ; Metacarpal Bones/surgery* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures

Female ; Humans ; Consensus ; East Asian People ; Pelvic Floor/surgery* ; Prostheses and Implants ; Registries ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/adverse effects* ; Prosthesis Implantation

Sodium alginate (SA) is a kind of natural polymer material extracted from kelp, which has excellent biocompatibility, non-toxicity, biodegradability and abundant storage capacity. The formation condition of sodium alginate gel is mild, effectively avoiding the inactivation of active substances. After a variety of preparation methods, sodium alginate microspheres are widely used in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering. This paper reviewed the common methods of preparing alginate microspheres, including extrusion, emulsification, electrostatic spraying, spray drying and coaxial airflow, and discussed their applications in biomedical fields such as bone repair, hemostasis and drug delivery.
Alginates ; Biocompatible Materials ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Microspheres ; Plastic Surgery Procedures

Soft tissue defects resulting from head and neck tumor resection seriously impact the physical appearance and psychological well-being of patients. The complex curvature of the human head and neck poses a formidable challenge for maxillofacial surgeons to achieve precise aesthetic and functional restoration after surgery. To this end, a normal head and neck volunteer was selected as the subject of investigation. Employing Gaussian curvature analysis, combined with mechanical constraints and principal curvature analysis methods of soft tissue clinical treatment, a precise developable/non-developable area partition map of the head and neck surface was obtained, and a non-developable surface was constructed. Subsequently, a digital design method was proposed for the repair of head and neck soft tissue defects, and an in vitro simulated surgery experiment was conducted. Clinical verification was performed on a patient with tonsil tumor, and the results demonstrated that digital technology-designed flaps improved the accuracy and aesthetic outcome of head and neck soft tissue defect repair surgery. This study validates the feasibility of digital precision repair technology for soft tissue defects after head and neck tumor resection, which effectively assists surgeons in achieving precise flap transplantation reconstruction and improves patients' postoperative satisfaction.
Humans ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Surgical Flaps/surgery* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/surgery* ; Head/surgery* ; Neck/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To explore effectiveness of positive support reduction and internal fixation in the treatment of femoral neck fractures. METHODS: A clinical data of 74 patients with femoral neck fractures treated with hollow screw internal fixation between September 2017 and September 2021 was retrospectively analyzed. Based on the quality of fracture reduction, they were divided into positive support reduction group (group A, n=25), negative support reduction group (group B, n=21), and anatomical reduction group (group C, n=28). There was no significant difference in baseline data such as gender, age, cause of injury, disease duration, fracture side, Garden classification, and fracture line position classification between groups (P>0.05). The occurrence of complications such as early fixation failure, femoral neck shortening, non-union of fractures, and femoral head necrosis in three groups, as well as the Harris score of the hip joint were recorded and compared. RESULTS: All patients had primary healing of incisions after operation and were followed up more than 12 months. The follow-up time for groups A, B, and C was (21.1±5.7), (22.6±4.3), and (21.9±4.1) months, respectively; there was no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidences of non-union of fractures, early internal fixation failure, and the femoral head necrosis between groups (P>0.05). The incidence and length of femoral neck shortening, and the hip Harris score at last follow-up in groups A and C were all superior to those in the group B, with significant difference (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators between groups A and C (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Positive support reduction can provide a good biomechanical environment for the healing of femoral neck fractures, thereby achieving a higher fracture healing rate, reducing the occurrence of femoral neck shortening, minimizing the function of hip joint, and achieving effectiveness similar to anatomical reduction.
Humans ; Femur Head Necrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Femoral Neck Fractures/surgery* ; Femur Neck ; Plastic Surgery Procedures

OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of the inferior tibiofibular ligament in the treatment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. METHODS: The clinical data of 34 patients with distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury who met the selection criteria between January 2020 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into improved group (TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of inferior tibiofibular ligament) and control group (distal tibiofibular screw fixation) according to the surgical methods, with 17 cases in each group. There was no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index, fracture type, and other baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and complications were recorded in the two groups. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, ankle metatarsal flexion and dorsal extension range of motion were used to evaluate the ankle function. The patient satisfaction survey was conducted at last follow-up. RESULTS: All 34 patients were followed up 8-20 months, with a median of 13 months. The operation time and intraoperative blood loss in the improved group were significantly longer than that in the control group (P<0.05). In the improved group, no infection or poor reduction occurred, and only 1 patient had TightRope knot reaction at 6 months after operation. In the control group, there were 2 cases of poor reduction, 1 case of lower tibiofibular screw rupture, and 1 case of subcutaneous infection (cured after anti-infection treatment). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the AOFAS score and ankle metatarsal flexion and dorsal extension range of motion of the improved group were significantly better than those of the control group (P<0.05). The satisfaction rates of patients in the improved group and the control group were 94.1% and 82.4%, respectively, showing significant difference (P<0.05). CONCLUSION TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of inferior tibiofibular ligament in the treatment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury has sufficient fixation strength, and can achieve better effectiveness and joint function compared with traditional screw fixation.
Humans ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Ligaments/surgery* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Ankle Injuries/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the vertical distance from semitendinosus insertion to tibial plateau (S-T) and the physical characteristics of patients, in order to provide reference for incision design to expose the semitendinosus insertion. METHODS: The patients with ligament injury who underwent primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction between January 2022 and December 2022 were selected as the research subjects. The patients' baseline data were collected, including age, gender, height, and body mass. During reconstruction operation, the S-T was measured. Considering the S-T as the dependent variable and baseline data as the independent variable, multiple linear regression analysis was used to establish a regression equation to determine the possible influencing factors of semitendinosus insertion location. RESULTS: According to the selection standard, a total of 214 patients were enrolled, including 156 males and 58 females, aged (27±9) years (14-49 years), with a height of (174.7±6.8) cm (range, 160-196 cm) and a body mass of (73.43±12.35) kg (range, 53-105 kg). The S-T was (56.36±3.61) mm (range, 47-67 mm). The multiple linear regression analysis results showed that the height was positively correlated with S-T (β=0.407, SE=0.055, t=7.543, P<0.001); the regression equation was S-T=-14.701+0.407×height, R²=0.690. CONCLUSION There was a linear relationship between the height and semitendinosus insertion. The location of semitendinosus insertion estimated by the formula (S-T=-14.701+0.407×height) is reasonable, which provides a theoretical basis for rapid, accurate, and safe location of semitendinosus insertion and design of surgical incision in clinic.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Correlation of Data ; Hamstring Muscles ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction ; Physical Examination

OBJECTIVE: To review targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) surgery for the construction of intelligent prosthetic human-machine interface, thus providing a new clinical intervention paradigm for the functional reconstruction of residual limbs in amputees. METHODS: Extensively consulted relevant literature domestically and abroad and systematically expounded the surgical requirements of intelligent prosthetics, TMR operation plan, target population, prognosis, as well as the development and future of TMR. RESULTS: TMR facilitates intuitive control of intelligent prostheses in amputees by reconstructing the "brain-spinal cord-peripheral nerve-skeletal muscle" neurotransmission pathway and increasing the surface electromyographic signals required for pattern recognition. TMR surgery for different purposes is suitable for different target populations. CONCLUSION TMR surgery has been certified abroad as a transformative technology for improving prosthetic manipulation, and is expected to become a new clinical paradigm for 2 million amputees in China.
Humans ; Artificial Limbs ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Prosthesis Implantation