Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of expanded flaps in reconstructing scar contracture deformities in the face and neck after extensive burns. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. From May 2016 to September 2022, 17 patients with scar contracture deformities in the face and neck after extensive burns were admitted to Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University & Wuhan Third Hospital, including 13 males and 4 females, aged 23 to 55 years, with 3 patients having degree Ⅱ cervical contracture, 14 patients having degree Ⅲ cervical contracture, and 12 patients having facial scar contracture deformity. In the first stage, 34 rectangular skin and soft tissue expanders (hereinafter referred to as expanders) with rated capacity of 100-600 mL were inserted into the face, chest, shoulder, and abdomen, and then the normal saline was injected for expansion. In the second stage, the scar tissue was removed and the contracture was released to correct the deformity. Two expanded facial flaps were transplanted in local fashion, 17 expanded flaps were transplanted in pedicled fashion, and 15 expanded flaps were freely transplanted to repair the secondary wounds after release, with artery pressurization was performed in 7 flaps. Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging was used to evaluate the arterial blood perfusion and venous return of the flaps during transplantation. The incision area of 32 flaps except 2 facial flaps was 10 cm×8 cm-36 cm×16 cm. The wounds of 31 flap donor sites were closed by direct suture, and the wound of 1 flap donor site was repaired by autologous split-thickness scalp transplantation. The skin condition of inserted place, expansion time, and total amount of normal saline injection of expanders, complications of skin and soft tissue expansion surgery, and survival of flap after the second stage surgery were observed and recorded. The long-term face and neck reconstruction effect and recovery of flap donor area were followed up. At the last follow-up, the 5-level Likert scale was used to evaluate the efficacy satisfaction of patients. Results: Of the 34 expander inserted places in 17 patients, 22 places were superficial scar skin after deep partial-thickness burns, 8 places were superficial scar skin after multiple skin donations, and 4 places were normal skin. After 4 to 15 months of expansion, the total normal saline injection volume was 238 to 2 000 mL, with no complications occurred. After the second stage surgery, the distal part of 2 pedicled flaps was partially necrotic, and the necrotic wounds were healed after flap dressing and free transplantation of contralateral expanded triangular flaps, respectively; the other flaps survived completely. During 6 to 18 months of follow-up, except for 2 expanded paraumbilical flaps and 1 expanded groin flap, which were bloated and improved by flap thinning, the appearance and texture of the other flaps were good, and all the flap donor sites recovered well. At the last follow-up, the face and neck scar contracture deformities were significantly improved in all patients, and the satisfaction of curative effect of patient was very satisfactory in 8 patients and relatively satisfactory in 9 patients. Conclusions: The expanded flaps of chest, abdomen, and other parts, combined with local advance, pedicled, and free transplantation, can effectively reconstruct scar contracture deformities in the face and neck after extensive burns, restore the function of operative area and improve the appearance simultaneously, with high degree of patient satisfaction, which is worthy of promotion in clinic.
目的： 探讨扩张皮瓣整复大面积烧伤后面颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形的临床效果。 方法： 采用回顾性观察性研究方法。2016年5月—2022年9月，武汉大学同仁医院暨武汉市第三医院收治17例大面积烧伤后面颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形患者，其中男13例、女4例，年龄23~55岁，颈部挛缩程度Ⅱ度者3例、Ⅲ度者14例，12例患者合并面部瘢痕挛缩畸形。Ⅰ期于面、胸、肩、腹部等处置入34个额定容量为100~600 mL的长方形皮肤软组织扩张器（以下简称扩张器）注射生理盐水扩张。Ⅱ期切除瘢痕组织、松解挛缩，纠正畸形，局部转移2个扩张面部皮瓣、带蒂转移17个扩张皮瓣、游离移植15个扩张皮瓣修复松解后继发创面（对7个皮瓣行动脉增压），并使用吲哚菁绿荧光显影技术评估移植时皮瓣动脉血流灌注和静脉回流状况。除2个面部皮瓣外的32个皮瓣切取面积为10 cm×8 cm~36 cm×16 cm，将31个皮瓣供区创面直接缝合封闭，1个皮瓣供区创面采用自体刃厚头皮移植修复。观察并记录扩张器的埋置部位皮肤状态、扩张时间、注射生理盐水总量，皮肤软组织扩张术并发症发生情况，Ⅱ期术后皮瓣成活情况。随访患者面颈部远期整复效果和皮瓣供区恢复情况。末次随访时，采用利克特5级量表评价患者的疗效满意度。 结果： 17例患者的34个扩张器埋置部位中，22个部位为深Ⅱ度烧伤后浅表瘢痕皮肤，8个部位为多次供皮后浅表瘢痕皮肤，4个部位为正常皮肤。经4~15个月的扩张，扩张器注射生理盐水总量为238~2 000 mL，扩张区域无并发症发生。Ⅱ期术后，2个带蒂移植皮瓣蒂部远端部分坏死，坏死创面分别经皮瓣修整和对侧扩张胸三角皮瓣游离移植后愈合，其余皮瓣均完全成活。随访6~18个月，2个扩张脐旁皮瓣和1个扩张腹股沟皮瓣较臃肿，行修薄术后臃肿改善，其余皮瓣外观、质地良好；所有皮瓣供区均恢复良好。末次随访时，所有患者面颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形均明显改善，患者疗效满意度：8例非常满意、9例比较满意。 结论： 采用胸部、腹部等部位的扩张皮瓣，综合应用局部转移、带蒂转移、游离移植方式，可使大面积烧伤后面颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形得到有效整复，在恢复术区功能的同时改善外观，且患者满意度高，值得临床推广。.