PERONEAL OSTEOCUTANEOUS FLAP RAISED ON RECONSTRUCTED POPLITEAL ARTERYFOR DELAYED UNION FOLLOWING OPEN TIBIAL FRACTURES

Two cases of delayed union following type IIIC open tibial fracture we re treated by a pedicled peroneal osteocutaneous flap raised on recons tructed popliteal vessels. Dissection of the peroneal vessels from the already traumatized extremity was tedious, but this technique provide d a reliable vascularized skin and bone graft that was indispensable f or the fracture healing. Peroneal osteocutaneous flaps raised on the r econstructed popliteal artery have not been reported to date; they app ear to be a good alternative to free osteocutaneous flaps for non-unio n of the proximal tibia. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.