The pros and cons of distant pedicled flaps for upper extremity trauma reconstruction in the era of microvascular surgery

Nineteen distant pedicled flaps, performed during 1989 for posttraumatic upper extremity soft tissue defect cover were reviewed. The pros and cons of distant pedicled flaps were examined with respect to the alternative treatment; namely, free microvascular tissue transfer. The main points considered were the traumatic defect, the donor site and particular problems of each patient. The conclusion was that pedicled flaps are useful in this type of reconstruction in spite of the availability of microvascular techniques.