Tensor Fascia Lata muscle and musculocutaneous flap has been used in the past for reconstruction of trunk defects and also as a free flap for soft tissue reconstruction elsewhere in the body. Transferring the iliac crest along with the muscle as a free flap has been described earlier, reported for bridging calcaneal defect and small mandibular defects. The use of this flap as a source of free vascularised bone has not been widely practised since these initial few reports. Anatomical studies were carried out to assess the feasibility of using this flap for reconstructing maxillary and other head and neck defects, following which it was successfully used for these indications. The preliminary report describes the flap anatomy, method of harvest and its potential uses in head and neck reconstruction.

We report the results of staged flexor tendon reconstruction in 12 patients (12 fingers) with neglected or failed primary repair of flexor tendon injuries in zone II. Injuries involved both flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) and flexor digitorum sublimis (FDS), with poor prognosis (Boyes grades II-IV). The procedure included placing a silicone rod and creating a loop between the FDP and FDS in the first stage and reflecting the latter as a pedicled graft through the pseudosheath created around the silicone rod in the second stage. At a mean follow-up of 18 months (range 12-30 months), results were assessed by clinical examination and questionnaire. The mean total active motion of these fingers was 188^o. The mean power grip was 80.0% and pinch grip was 76% of the contralateral hand. The rate of excellent and good results was 75% according to the Buck-Gramcko scale. These results were better than the subjective scores given by the patients. Complications included postoperative hematoma in two, infection in one, silicone synovitis in one (after stage I) and three flexion contractures after stage II. This study confirmed the usefulness of two-stage flexor tendon reconstruction using the combined technique as a salvage procedure to restore flexor tendon function with a few complications.

To simplify and standardize surgical management of hypospadias, a modified tubularised incised plate (TIP) urethroplasty (Snodgrass) technique has been described and a revised hypospadias management algorithm has been formulated. The study aims to evaluate the viability of the described procedure in different types of hypospadias and tests the validity of the algorithm. The modification described is recruitment of penile and glandular skin lateral to the urethral plate to facilitate tubularisation. The algorithm starts with penile degloving with preservation of urethral plate. Snodgrass repair was done in cases with no chordee and where skin chordee resolved by skin take down. Modified Snodgrass repair was done in cases where urethral plate was narrow. Another modification proposed by us is single layer penile skin closure instead of an added dartos flap, which was done in both classical and modified Snodgrass repair. Cases of severe chordee not resolved by skin take down were repaired by transverse preputial island flap (TPIF) and Bracka's technique. Dorsal plication was not used as an orthoplasty modality. It was possible to repair 68.89% of the cases by Snodgrass repair. These patients either had no chordee or had superficial skin tethering (skin chordee) which resolved on degolving. All these cases were coronal, distal and mid penile hypospadias. Remaining cases were mid, proximal and penoscrotal with true fibrous chordee and were repaired by TPIF or Bracka's technique. The Snodgrass technique had a fistula rate of 9.67%. Acceptably, low fistula rate and simple execution make the proposed modification of classical Snodgrass repair a viable option. The proposed algorithm proves to be a useful tool for standardised and logical preoperative decision making. It also defines indications of the three techniques vis-a-vis the type of hypospadias.

This case series comprises 31 patients who were victims of acid assault burns. They were admitted for acute or reconstructive care to a regional burns unit. Ten patients were admitted late with suboptimal acute care and needed a total of 50 reconstructive procedures. Of 13 patients admitted acutely, 7 had surgery performed after 48 hours of constant lavage while seven had urgent surgical debridement within 48 hours, followed by lavage. Although the number of reconstructive procedures performed in these two groups was similar, i.e., 20 and 19, respectively, the magnitude of the deformity in the urgent surgery group was significantly less than in the conventional surgery group. As in many cases of acute burns care, determining the evidence for best practice using a prospective, randomised, controlled comparison of conventional versus urgent surgery is difficult in view of the small number of cases involved. However, basing surgical practice on ethical principles, and in particular 'primum non nocere,' we propose that the urgent reduction of the chemical load on the skin by surgical debridement is appropriate in selected cases and should be considered in the acute management of these devastating injuries.

Context: With the increasing emphasis on well-sculpted facial features, today there is a growing need for tools to augment the facial skeleton; either for cosmetic reasons or to re-contour deformities-congenital, post-traumatic and post-ablative. The limitations of autogenous materials has lead to evolution of numerous 'alloplasts', of which, high-density porous polyethylene (HDPE) seems to be a promising alternative. Aims: To evaluate the long term results of HDPE in facial skeletal augmentation in terms of achieving desired facial contour, patient satisfaction and complications. Settings: A tertiary care referral centre in a metropolitan set-up. Design: Case Series Materials and Methods: All patients undergoing HDPE implant insertion for facial skeletal augmentation between July 2001 and November 2009 were included in the study. A total of 70 HDPE implants were inserted in 44 patients. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon following standardized pre, intra and post-operative protocols. The results were evaluated with respect to improvement in facial contour desired and achieved, overall patient satisfaction and complications encountered. Results: The study included 44 patients with a male:female ratio of 1:1, a mean age of 25.09 years (14 to 58 years) and a mean follow-up of 45.34 months (0.5 to 100 months). HDPE implants were used to augment the nasal dorsum, maxilla, malar eminence, chin, mandibular body and angle, orbital rim and frontal region. The overall recontouring afforded by the HDPE implants was good, with most patients reporting satisfactory results. There were seven complications (10%), including three cases of deviation (4.29%), three cases of exposure (4.29%) and one case of sub-clinical infection (1.43%). None however necessitated implant removal. Nasal dorsal HDPE implants, especially those involving secondary surgery, suffered a much higher complication rate compared to other implants. Conclusions: HDPE is an alternative to autogenous grafts for facial skeletal augmentation with good long-term results and a low incidence of complications, provided there is adequate vascular soft tissue cover.

Purpose: The medical records of these patients were reviewed and analysed to determine the clinical characteristics and treatment of facial bone fractures. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study of 2,094 patients with facial bone fractures from various accidents that were treated at the Inha University Hospital from 1996 to 2007. Results: The most common age group was the third decade of life (29%). Males were more common than females (3.98:1). The most common aetiology was violent assault or nonviolent traumatic injury (49.4%). The most common isolated fracture site was the nasal bone (37.7%), followed by the mandible (30%), orbital bones (7.6%), zygoma (5.7%), maxilla (1.3%) and the frontal bone (0.3%). The largest group with complex fractures included the inferior region of the orbital floor and zygomaticomaxilla (14%). Closed reduction was performed in 46.3% of the cases while 39.7% of the cases required open reduction. For open reductions, the most commonly used soft-tissue approach was the intraoral approach (32.3%). The complication rate was 6.4% and the most common complication was hypoesthesia (68.4%) followed by diplopia (25.6%). Conclusion: Long-term collection of epidemiological data regarding facial fractures and concomitant injuries is important for the evaluation of existing preventive measures and useful in the development of new methods of injury prevention and treatment.

Background: Accurate estimation of body surface area (BSA) burn is important. In small and patchy burns, the patient's hand is used to estimate percentage of burn which is traditionally considered as 1%. There is discrepancy about what percentage of TBSA is constituted by the palm and hand. Therefore, this study was designed to determine correctly the TBSA represented by the palmar surface of the entire hand and palm in the Indian population. Material and Methods: 300 healthy adult (male and female) and 300 healthy children (male and female) were included in the study. TBSA was calculated using DuBois formula and hand and palm surface area was calculated using hand tracing on plain paper. The hand/palm percentage of BSA (ratio) was determined by dividing hand/palm surface area by total BSA. Results: The mean hand and palm ratio for adults was 0.92% and 0.50%, respectively. The mean hand and palm ratio in children was 1.06% and 0.632%, respectively. Conclusion: The hand area (palm plus digits) is more closely represented to 1% of TBSA in Indian population.

Aim: The study aims to determine the frequency of homologous blood transfusion in patientsundergoing cleft lip and palate surgery at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Setting and Design: A prospective study of transfusion rate in cleft surgery conducted at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Material and Methods: One hundred consecutive patients who required cleft lip and palate surgery were recruited into the study. Data collected included age, sex and weight of patients, type of cleft defects, type of surgery done, preoperative haematocrit, duration of surgery, amount of blood loss during surgery, the number of units of blood cross-matched and those used. Each patient was made to donate a unit of homologous blood prior to surgery. Results: There were 52 females and 48 males with a mean age of 64.4 ± 101.1 months (range, 3-420 months). The most common cleft defect was isolated cleft palate (45%) followed by unilateral cleft lip (28%). Cleft palate repair was the most common procedure (45%) followed by unilateral cleft lip repair (41%). The mean estimated blood loss was 95.8 ± 144.9 ml (range, 2-800ml). Ten (10%) patients (CL=2; CP=5, BCL=1; CLP=2) were transfused but only two of these were deemed appropriate based on percentage blood volume loss. The mean blood transfused was 131.5 ± 135.4ml (range, 35-500ml). Six (60%) of those transfused had a preoperative PCV of < 30%. Only 4.9% of patients who had unilateral cleft lip surgery were transfused as compared with 50% for CLP surgery, 11% for CP surgery, and 10% for bilateral cleft lip surgery. Conclusions: The frequency of blood transfusion in cleft lip and palate surgery was 10% with a cross-match: transfusion ratio of 10 and transfusion index of 0.1. A "type and screen" policy is advocated for cleft lip and palate surgery.

Smile is one of the most natural and important expressions of human emotion. Man uses his lips mainly to register his emotions. Thus, the slightest asymmetry or weakness around the lips and mouth may transform this pleasant expression into embarrassment and distortion. The circumoral musculature, the major part of which is supplied by the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve, is the main factor in this expression. Therefore, an injury to this nerve during a surgical procedure can distort the expression of the smile as well as other facial expressions. This nerve often gets injured by surgeons in operative procedures in the submandibular region, like excision of the submandibular gland due to lack of accurate knowledge of variations in the course, branches and relations. In the present study, 50 facial halves were dissected to study the origin, entire course, termination, branches, muscles supplied by it, its anastomoses with other branches of facial nerve on the same as well as on the opposite side and its relations with the surrounding structures. The marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve was found superficial to the facial artery and (anterior) facial vein in all the cases (100%). Thus the facial artery can be used as an important landmark in locating the marginal mandibular nerve during surgical procedures. Such a study can help in planning precise and accurate incisions and in preventing the unrecognized severance of this nerve during surgical procedures.

Introduction: This national survey on the management of cleft lip and palate (CLP) in India is the first of its kind. Objective: To collect basic data on the management of patients with CLP in India for further evaluation. Materials and Methods: A proforma was designed and sent to all the surgeons treating CLP in India. It was publicized through internet, emails, post and through personal communication. Subjects: 293 cleft surgeons representing 112 centers responded to the questionnaire. Most of the forms were filled up by personal interview. Results: The cleft workload of the participating centers is between 10 and 2000 surgeries annually. These centers collectively perform 32,500-34,700 primary and secondary cleft surgeries every year. The responses were analyzed using Microsoft excel and 112 as the sample size. Most surgeons are repairing cleft lip between 3-6 months and cleft palate between 6 months to 1 year. Millard and Tennison repairs form the mainstay of lip repair. Multiple techniques are used for palate repair. Presurgical orthopedics, lip adhesion, nasendoscopy, speech therapy, video-fluoroscopy and orthognathic surgery were not always available and in some cases not availed of even when available. Conclusion: Management of CLP differs in India. Primary surgical practices are almost similar to other studies. There is a lack of interdisciplinary approach in majority of the centers, and hence, there is a need for better interaction amongst the specialists. A more comprehensive study with an improved questionnaire would be desirable.

A case of fracture of the right tibia proximal 1/3rd extending up to diaphysis after a road traffic accident along with a dropped hallux is being reported. The extensor digitorum longus (EDL) was intact. Patient was taken up for surgery for the fracture tibia with conservative management for his dropped hallux for initial six weeks. After six weeks when no improvement was seen surgical intervention was planned for the dropped hallux. The subsequent management of this patient is being described.

In head and neck reconstructions when a free flap is used intra orally to provide the lining its vascular pedicle has to be transferred to the neck for anastomosis. This has to be performed in such a way that the pedicle does not get kinked or twisted. The pedicle is enrolled in a split open glove from its point of entry into the flap till its proximal most part. In order to prevent twisting of the vessels and to maintain orientation, the glove is wrapped in such a way that the imprint on the glove is on the visualized surface. The glove wrapped pedicle is passed from inside the oral cavity while an artery clamp passed from the neck wound through the submandibular or subcutaneous tunnel holds the tip of the glove component and guides it safely to the neck without exerting any traction on the flap or the pedicle vessels.

We are presenting a mammoth orbito-frontal neurofibroma with a herniating meningo-encephalocele in a 23 year old African male. The tumour measured 87cm Χ 54cm and occupied the right orbito-temporo-facial region and had destroyed the right orbit. A pre operative embolization of the feeding vessels was followed by a one stage near total excision of the tumour and repair of the meningo-encephalocele in hypotensive anaesthesia. The excised tumour weighed 8 Kg and, to the best of our knowledge, is the largest orbito-facial neurofibroma reported in literature.

Lipoblastomas arising within the parotid gland and extending into the infratemporal fossa are very rare. They are common in children <3 years of age. Access to the tumour requires careful planning and interpretation of imaging studies. Lipoblastomas tend to recur. Meticulous dissection of the tumour is needed to prevent recurrence. By adopting the appropriate approach, complete removal is possible with minimal morbidity.

We present a massive 25 cm x 20 cm chest wall defect resulting from resection of recurrent cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast along with six ribs exposing pleura. The chest wall was reconstructed with a Prolene mesh-methylmethacrylate cement sandwich while soft tissue reconstruction was carried out using a combined free anterolateral-anteromedial thigh musculocutaneous flap with two separate pedicles, anastomosed to the thoracodorsal and thoracoacromial vessels respectively. We explain our rationale for and the advantages of combining the musculocutaneous anterolateral thigh flap with the anteromedial-rectus femoris thigh flap.

Ectodermal dysplasia is a rare group of inherited disorders characterized by aplasia or dysplasia of tissues of ectodermal origin, such as hair, nails, teeth and skin. Dental manifestations include hypodontia, complete anodontia or malformed teeth. Oral rehabilitation is the major surgical challenge in such patients. It frequently requires alveolar reconstruction followed by dental implants. We report a case of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, which was managed with reconstruction of both the upper and the lower alveolus using free fibula flaps with dental rehabilitation using osseointegrated implants.

Local steroid injections are often administered in the office setting for treatment of trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome, de Quervain's tenosynovitis, and basal joint arthritis. If attention is paid to sterile technique, infectious complications are rare. We present a case of suppurative extensor tenosynovitis arising after local steroid injection for vague symptoms of dorsal hand and wrist pain. The progression of signs and symptoms following injection suggests a natural history involving bacterial superinfection leading to tendon rupture. We discuss the pitfalls of local steroid injection and the appropriate management of infectious extensor tenosynovitis arising in such situations.

Pedicled anterolateral thigh flap has been well described for ipsilateral groin defects. Its versatility depends on the intact femoral vessels. When the external iliac and the femoral vessels are absent, especially secondary to wide surgical tumour ablations in the groin region, ipsilateral ALT flap is not an option. Free flaps also are difficult because of lack of recipient vessels. We report a case of composite groin defect following wide resection of recurrent liposarcoma along with encased vessels which was covered with a pedicled anterolateral thigh flap from the opposite thigh. The technique of lengthening the vascular pedicle and medializing the pedicle, to effectively increase its reach to the contralateral anterior superior iliac spine without vascular compromise, is described.

We present a 62-year-old female patient who had an anatomic variation in the median nerve of the left hand. During surgery for releasing the left carpal tunnel, an abnormally high level of origin of the thenar muscular branch of the median nerve was detected, at 2.5 cm above the proximal border of transverse carpal ligament. It traveled between the medial side of the flexor carpi radialis tendon and median nerve and entered the carpal tunnel. After exiting the carpal tunnel distally, the nerve, was noted to course towards the thenar area. Such variations in the median nerve should be kept in mind while performing carpal tunnel release.

Below knee stump preservation reduces ambulatory energy expenditure and improves the quality of life. Reconstruction of soft tissue loss around the stump is a challenging task. Below knee stump reconstruction demands stable skin with sufficient soft tissue to allow weigh bearing. Microsurgical tissue transfer is increasingly being used as a salvage option. Anterolateral thigh flap with additional vastus lateralis muscle provides extra cushioning effect. We report two cases of amputation below knee successfully salvaged. The anterolteral flap with abundant tissue and stable skin offers a reliable option for cover. Two patients with below knee amputation were reconstructed secondarily. After 6 to 20 months of follow -up, stumps showed no signs of pressure effects. Patients are able to bear 50-70 hours of weight per week.

The aim is to discuss a new method of muscle repair in midline cleft lip. Three patients with midline cleft lip were repaired with our technique of muscle repair and the results evaluated. Our new method of muscle repair in the form of 'Z' helps in forming the philtral dimple.