Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and clinical significance of the computed tomography angiography (CTA) for the latissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) flap transplantation.
Methods: From September 2007 to August 2008, 3 cases of soft tissue defects in limbs were treated with LDM flap transplantation. Three patients included 2 males and 1 female who were 23- to 42-years-old. All of soft tissue defects were caused by trauma. The locations were the forearm in 2 cases and the leg in 1 case. The area of defect was 17 cm x 8 cm-20 cm x 10 cm. All cases received CTA to observe the distribution and anastomosis of thoracodorsal artery. Subsequently, three-dimensional computer reconstruction were carried out to display the stereoscopic structure of the LDM flap and to design the LDM flap before operation.
Results: The anatomy characteristic of LDM flap can be displayed accurately by the three-dimensional reconstruction model. The distribution of thoracodorsal artery in 3 cases of flaps was in concordance with preoperative design completely. All the flaps were excised successfully, the area of the flap was 19 cm x 10 cm-22 cm x 12 cm. All the transferred flaps survived completely. All cases were followed up from 4 months to 12 months. The color and texture of the flaps were good.
Conclusion: The three-dimensional reconstructive images can provide visible, stereoscopic and dynamic anatomy for clinical application of LDM flap. The digitized three-dimensional reconstructive models of LDM flap structures can be applied in clinical training and pre-operative design.