Extended Medial Myocutaneous Gastrocnemius Flap for Coverage of Wounds around Knee Joint

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the extended medial myocutaneous gastrocnemius flap in providing coverage for wounds around the knee joint. Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Lahore Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2023. Methodology: Twenty individuals were added through convenient sampling for coverage of wounds around their knee joints. They had either spinal or general anaesthesia for the operation. Wound management, flap monitoring, and physical therapy were all part of postoperative care. Assessments including flap survival, wound recipient and donor site function, and wound healing were done at one week, one month, and three months. Results: The study included 20 patients, 18(90%) were male, and their mean age was 42.4±7.24. The 80% of the patients had full wound healing within a month, and 20%, needed three months to heal completely. 2(10%) of cases had postoperative wound infection, and 4(20%) of patients had partial wound dehiscence. There have been no partial or complete flap necrosis and no significant donor site morbidity, proving the procedure's effectiveness and safety. Conclusion: Results of the study support extended medial myocutaneous gastrocnemius flap as a versatile and viable option for reconstruction of wounds around the knee, demonstrating a high success with a low complication rate with 80% healing within a month providing durable wound coverage with no flap necrosis or donor site morbidity.