Rotación de colgajo pediculado de gastrocnemio medial: Reporte de caso

Abstract

The gastrocnemius muscle is frequently used to cover defects in the lower extremity due to its robustness, minimal functional impairment, and unique vascular pedicle from the sural artery that allows effective rotation for the reconstruction of defects. The flap has complete functionality due to its blood supply from the medial and lateral sural arteries. It is a surgical procedure that can have complications related to the donor site, which makes this case notable due to the patient's previous complication. It is the treatment of choice in cases where a large amount of soft tissue has been lost, especially if the osteosynthesis material is exposed. The following case involves a pedicled medial gastrocnemius flap rotation in a 26-year-old male patient who presented to the clinic for a 4cm ulcer in the proximal third of the tibia due to previous surgical treatment with exposure to osteosynthesis material. The relevance of the clinical case lies in the lack of sufficient evidence on reconstruction with pedicled rotated muscle flaps in patients with open fractures in the lower limbs. It is known that, in Ecuador, the most significant number of open fractures end in amputation since no clinical-evolutionary information in this regard is available. Given the advantages of reconstruction with gastrocnemius muscle flaps with soft tissue defects, the report and knowledge of the surgical technique implemented are essential.