• Lixuan Lu, Antang Liu, Lie Zhu, Jie Zhang, Xiaohai Zhu, and Hua Jiang.
• Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
• J. Am. Coll. Surg.. 2013 Sep 1;217(3):461-71.

BackgroundCross-leg flaps are a good choice for reconstructing traumatized lower extremities, especially when free flaps cannot be used. In this article, we present our experience in the treatment of traumatic lower extremity wounds by using cross-leg flaps.Study DesignA total of 56 patients suffering traumatic lower extremities were treated with cross-leg flaps. Patients with diabetes mellitus and those who were heavy smokers were also included in this study.ResultsMost flaps survived without complications. Flap necrosis occurred in 2 cases. The hospital stay was 20.0 ± 6.2 days and the flaps were divided at 13.3 ± 2.8 days. The diabetes patients were mostly elderly, and they had longer hospital stays and duration for flap division. Follow-up was an average of 16.2 ± 8.2 months.ConclusionsThe cross-leg flap is an effective and simple method for treating traumatic lower extremity wounds. It should have priority over microsurgery, not just be an alternative to it.Copyright © 2013 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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