SOFT-TISSUE EXPANSION PRIOR TO ARTHROPLASTY IN THE MULTIPLY-OPERATED KNEE - A NEW METHOD OF PREVENTING CATASTROPHIC SKIN PROBLEMS

Ten knees in nine patients underwent gradual soft tissue expansion pri or to major knee surgery. All patients had multiple prior operative pr ocedures around the knee. The resultant multiple skin incisions were f elt to potentially jeopardize the postoperative status of the soft tis sues. Each knee underwent the surgical place ment of a tissue expander through a bed of adjacent healthy soft tissue followed by the gradual inflation of the expander over an average of 64.5 days. The average v olume of soft tissue expansion was 313.7 mt per knee. Subsequent major knee surgery requiring an arthrotomy was performed at the time of exp ander removal followed by uncomplicated soft tissue closure. All wound s healed without any complications.