APPLICATION OF SILICON TISSUE EXPANDERS FOR THE DIRECT OR INDIRECT COVERAGE OF SOFT-TISSUE DEFECTS IN THE EXTREMITIES

In a 2 year prospective study, 17 tissue expanders were placed on the extremities of 17 patients. The aim was to cover soft tissue defects i n the forearm of 8 patients after chinese flap dissection, which was u sed either as a free or reversed flap. In 8 of the remaining patients, the expanded skin was placed directly on the affected region as a loc al fasciocutaneous flap. In 1 patient it was determined intra-operativ ely that the prepared extended skin was not necessary to treat the pat ient. The tissue expander was successfully used to cover skin defects, both directly and indirectly, in the lower extremity (7 cases) and in the upper extremity (9 cases). Neither infection nor necrosis was obs erved in the flaps and the cosmetic results, particularly in the forea rm, were satisfactory.