SALVAGE OF EXTENSIVELY BURNED UPPER LIMBS BY A PEDICLED LATISSIMUS-DORSI FLAP

Very deep burns of the arm and elbow lead to soft tissue necrosis and infection with exposure of important structures. Aggressive debridemen t should be performed as early as possible to cut the vicious circle, and the defect, which may be extensive, should be covered by well-vasc ularized tissues. The reliability and versatility of the pedicled lati ssimus dorsi muscle or musculocutaneous flap make it our first choice in the management of this problem. A retrospective study of three pati ents for whom salvage of the upper limb has been achieved by the Mse o f a pedicled latissimus dorsi flap is presented, illustrating the adva ntages of this technique.