Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To present the application and clinical results of soft tissue reconstruction of the lower limb with the free serratus anterior muscle flap. METHODS: Twenty Chinese adult cadavers were studied to determine detailed anatomical information about the serratus anterior muscle flap. From 1997 to 2007, 82 patients with soft tissue defects of the lower limbs were treated with free serratus anterior muscle flaps and skin grafts. There were 24 females and 58 males, aged from 22 to 63 years (mean 34). The patients were followed up for an average of 30 months (range, 8 months-5 years). RESULTS: All flaps survived except for one, in which necrosis occurred. Six patients developed partial necroses of the muscle flap or skin graft. Five of them healed with debridement or wound care, and one healed with a repeat skin graft. There was no notable donor site morbidity. Dysfunction of the shoulder was not found in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: The serratus anterior muscle flap is a good option for the treatment of soft tissue defects of the lower limb. This muscle flap has many advantages owing to its anatomical features.