Background. Despite the many accesses described in the literature for open Achilles tendon repair, there is no evidence of the benefits of this or that access confirmed by clinical observations.The aim is to determine and justify optimal access during open Achilles tendon repair.Material and methods. The article shows the result of the analysis of data from a literary search, experimental work on 12 lower limbs of 6 cadavers, a clinical study based on a retro-prospective analysis of the treatment of 128 people in the Department of Emergency Traumatology N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute from 2014 to 2022. The comparison group retrospectively included 47 patients (36.7%) with Achilles tendon injury, who underwent suture of the Achilles tendon from S and Z–shaped accesses from 2014 to 2017. The main group prospectively included 81 patients (63.3%) for 2018-2022, who underwent paramedial tendon access.Results. The analysis of a retrospective study showed that 3 patients from the comparison group with Achilles tendon injury in the postoperative period had ischemia of the wound edges with subsequent formation of necrosis and skin defect; 1 patient had a hypertrophic painful scar, which ulcerated from the constant traumatization of his shoe back (the total number of complications was 8.5%). In the patients of the main group, there were no complications in the postoperative period in any case. Conclusion. In our opinion, the paramedial tendon access is optimal, because there are no complications from the skin and leads to improved functional results.

RELEVANCE The overall incidence of Achilles tendon rupture has been increasing in recent decades due to population aging, the growing prevalence of obesity and increased participation in sports. Achilles tendon ruptures are common injuries of the musculoskeletal system, and according to various authors, they account for 47% of all ruptures of human tendons and muscles, about 18 cases per 100 thousand people per year. Despite the abundance of various options of tendon suture in surgery, a wide choice of suture material and the use of precision techniques in tendon reconstruction, the proposed methods of macroscopic reconstruction of the tendon apparatus do not solve the problem of tendon suture failure.CONCLUSION Despite the abundance of proposed accesses to the Achilles tendon, the optimal one for all types of injuries has not yet been developed. Currently, there are no clear recommendations for choosing a specific method of treating an Achilles tendon rupture.

Unfortunately, suppuration of a postoperative wound remains the most frequent complication of surgical intervention. If suppuration is located superficially, within the subcutaneous fat, it can be successfully managed with minimal functional losses. The clinical course is significantly complicated if the focus of infection is located under the skin, in the thickness of the muscles, in the fracture zone. In the case of suppuration in the area of osteosynthesis, the complication may become critical.Such a complication is a serious condition that requires multi-stage complex and sometimes multidisciplinary treatment.The conditions for a successful outcome in this pathology are the minimum period from the moment of suppuration, active surgical tactics, stability of the implant, and good vascularization of the surrounding soft tissues.Active surgical tactics involves the opening and sanitation of purulent foci, leaks, recesses. Staged necrectomies are inevitable companions of surgical treatment and can cause the formation of defects in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscles.The resulting soft tissue defect leads to exposure of the bone and plate. Removal of the metal fixator becomes inevitable.Only the closure of the defect with a complex of tissues based on free vascularized composite grafts can radically solve the problem.The article presents two clinical observations of deep wound infection after bone osteosynthesis, where autotransplantation of a vascularized flap was used. The use of this technique made it possible to achieve suppression of infection, wound healing by primary intention, to create conditions for consolidation of the fracture, restoration of function and preservation of the limb as a whole.

Background . Severe open injuries of the lower extremities in most cases are the result of high-energy trauma, because the foot and ankle are damaged as a result of automobile accidents almost in every fourth victim. According to the literature, the percentage of infectious complications after surgical debridement of open injuries of the foot is 43–67.9% and shows no tendency to decrease. Material and methods . We performed 32 operations with the use of free revascularized grafts in patients aged from 16 to 70 years with extensive posttraumatic defects of the foot between 2010 and 2018. Results . As a result, 30 (93.7%) out of 32 grafts provided foot support ability provided during the post-operative period. When replacing large defects (more than 80 cm 2 ) of soft tissues supporting surface of the foot we used free musculocutaneous flap of the latissimus dorsi, fasciocutaneous flaps were used for defects of the dorsum of the foot (less than 80 cm 2 ). Long-term results were assessed using the Foot and ankle ability Measure (FAAM) questionnaire. Conclusion . Primary early replacement of tissue defects on the foot with free revascularized autografts is the method of choice for solving this problem, as it allows you to maintain the supporting function of the foot and is often alternative method to amputation.

Background. Severe open injuries of the lower extremities in most cases are the result of high-energy trauma, because the foot and ankle are damaged as a result of automobile accidents almost in every fourth victim. According to the literature, the percentage of infectious complications after surgical debridement of open injuries of the foot is 43–67.9% and shows no tendency to decrease.Material and methods. We performed 32 operations with the use of free revascularized grafts in patients aged from 16 to 70 years with extensive posttraumatic defects of the foot between 2010 and 2018.Results. As a result, 30 (93.7%) out of 32 grafts provided foot support ability provided during the post-operative period. When replacing large defects (more than 80 cm2) of soft tissues supporting surface of the foot we used free musculocutaneous flap of the latissimus dorsi, fasciocutaneous flaps were used for defects of the dorsum of the foot (less than 80 cm2). Long-term results were assessed using the Foot and ankle ability Measure (FAAM) questionnaire.Conclusion. Primary early replacement of tissue defects on the foot with free revascularized autografts is the method of choice for solving this problem, as it allows you to maintain the supporting function of the foot and is often alternative method to amputation.

Background.Vascular bone graft transposition is the one of most effective method of nonunion fracture and bone defect treatment. However, the use of this technique is associated with some difficulties. One is the adjustment of recipient bed size and the graft. The other is the difficulty to reconstruct the alignment and length of bone. A promising method of preparing for the vascular bone graft transposition is virtual three-dimensional planning based on computed tomography data and three-dimensional printing templates.The aimwas to summarize our experience in the treatment of bone nonunion and defects with vascular bone autografts using tree-dimensional virtual planning and printing.Material and methods.We analyzed the treatment process and outcomes of 4 patients with limb bone nonunion and 6 patients with bone defects. In all cases, we used vascular bone grafts. Internal fixation of grafts was used in 7 cases, external fixation was used in 3 cases. At preparation stage in 4 cases, we used tree-dimensional virtual surgery planning and printing templates.Results.One case was diagnosed with bone graft necrosis caused by venous thrombosis. Consolidation was achieved in all patients; a late consolidation was observed in 2 cases. Hematoma in donor area was seen in 2 patients. When using three-dimensional virtual planning and tree-dimensional printing templates, the operation time was decreased by 1 hour 5 minutes. We identified two cases of poor reposition in the group without virtual planning. No poor reposition was observed in the cases where tree-dimensional planning was used.Conclusion.Vascularized bone grafts provide an effective method to treat bone defects and nonunion. But the planning of graft and recipient site sizes is associated with certain difficulties. Our preliminary results have shown that virtual three-dimensional planning and printing allow improving the precision of the surgical procedure and decreasing operative time.

Background Due to the non-decreasing incidence of such injuries, prolonged treatment and high incidence of complications, treatment of posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities is an actual problem within traumatology and plastic and reconstructive surgery. Aim of study Development of tactics for the treatment of posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities with the use of vascularized tissues (flaps) and evaluation of its results. Materials and methods: 118 patients with posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities were included into the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. In the comparison group (49 patients), the traditional management for posttraumatic defects was performed: local treatment of the wound followed by autodermoplasty. In the second group (study group), the developed procedure of cover tissues restoration using vascularized tissue complexes (69 patients) was applied. Results The developed treatment reduced the incidence of deep wound infection by 13.6%, necrosis of naked functional structures by 36.3%, chronic osteomyelitis by 17% and contraction of adjacent joints by 18.2%. At the same time, we noted a decrease in the duration of inpatient treatment by 14.7 days in patients with posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities. Conclusion The developed tactics of cover tissues restoration using vascularized tissue complexes reduced the incidence of complications and improved the functional results of treatment in patients with posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities.

Background Due to the non-decreasing incidence of such injuries, prolonged treatment and high incidence of complications, treatment of posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities is an actual problem within traumatology and plastic and reconstructive surgery. Aim of study Development of tactics for the treatment of posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities with the use of vascularized tissues (flaps) and evaluation of its results. Materials and methods: 118 patients with posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities were included into the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. In the comparison group (49 patients), the traditional management for posttraumatic defects was performed: local treatment of the wound followed by autodermoplasty. In the second group (study group), the developed procedure of cover tissues restoration using vascularized tissue complexes (69 patients) was applied. Results The developed treatment reduced the incidence of deep wound infection by 13.6%, necrosis of naked functional structures by 36.3%, chronic osteomyelitis by 17% and contraction of adjacent joints by 18.2%. At the same time, we noted a decrease in the duration of inpatient treatment by 14.7 days in patients with posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities. Conclusion The developed tactics of cover tissues restoration using vascularized tissue complexes reduced the incidence of complications and improved the functional results of treatment in patients with posttraumatic soft tissue defects of extremities.

RESUME. The aim of our study is to develop and introduce the algorithm of the early soft tissue reconstruction for the patients with severe open tibia fractures. We analyzed the treatment results retrospectively and prospectively 84 patients with severe open tibia fractures, complicated by soft tissue defects. In the comparison group (56 patients) we apply late soft tissue reconstruction. In the study group (28 patients) we applied the algorithm of early soft tissue reconstruction by plastic surgery methods. Surgery tactic depends on the patient’s condition, trauma mechanism, soft tissue defects size and localization. The algorithm of early soft tissue reconstruction was used for patients with severe open tibia fractures decreases duration of hospital treatment, rate of deep wound infection and partial necrosis of tibia bone.

In the article the results of 67 procedures of soft tissue reconstructions for the patients with open tibia fractures were analyzed. In the group, where the authors used skin rotational flaps, afterwards there were 3 (37.5%) patients with deep infection. The skin flap necrosis was diagnosed in 5 (62.5%) cases. In the group, where the authors used the reverse sural flap the deep infection occurred in 2 (28.6%) cases, but the flap necrosis developed in 3 (42.9%) cases. In the group where the authors used local muscular flaps, the deep infection occurred in 5 cases (13.2%) and the flap necrosis developed in 5 cases. In the group where we used the free muscular flap there was only 1 patient who got the deep wound infection and there were 2 patients who got necrosis. The clinical results that demonstrated the best healing and minimal complication rate of muscular flaps were confirmed high blood flow data in those flaps, measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. It means that using muscular flaps technique is most suitable for the soft tissue reconstructions in open tibia fractures. The type of the flap’s utilization is not important. Skin flap is a second line method of choice if it’s not possible to use muscular flap technique.

In the article the results of 67 procedures of soft tissue reconstructions for the patients with open tibia fractures were analyzed. In the group, where the authors used skin rotational flaps, afterwards there were 3 (37.5%) patients with deep infection. The skin flap necrosis was diagnosed in 5 (62.5%) cases. In the group, where the authors used the reverse sural flap the deep infection occurred in 2 (28.6%) cases, but the flap necrosis developed in 3 (42.9%) cases. In the group where the authors used local muscular flaps, the deep infection occurred in 5 cases (13.2%) and the flap necrosis developed in 5 cases. In the group where we used the free muscular flap there was only 1 patient who got the deep wound infection and there were 2 patients who got necrosis. The clinical results that demonstrated the best healing and minimal complication rate of muscular flaps were confirmed high blood flow data in those flaps, measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. It means that using muscular flaps technique is most suitable for the soft tissue reconstructions in open tibia fractures. The type of the flap’s utilization is not important. Skin flap is a second line method of choice if it’s not possible to use muscular flap technique.