Many operations for the reconstruction of the pelvic area have been studied until now. The local muscle flap is often used for the closure of these complex wound. But, these local muscle flaps may not be available for reconstruction due to the factors of infection, radiation, and surgical trauma. Since rectus abdominis muscle and gracilis muscle were introduced, their use has been steadily increased for the reconstruction of soft tissue defect of the pelvic area.
Inferiorly based rectus abdominis muscle flap and the gracilis muscle flap have been adopted for well-vascularized soft tissue coverage of the defect of pelvis and groin area. These techniques were utilized in seven patients. Of these patients, rectus abdominis muscle flap was used on four patients and three patients were treated with gracilis muscle flap. Among these, chronic osteomyelitis of pelvic bone has been managed with inferiorly based rectus abdominis muscle flap in three patients. No complication has been found. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 26 months, with a range of 12 to 39 months.
In conclusion, these muscles are functionally expandable , and provide adequate tissue volume with sufficient blood supply away from the zone of injury, and readily transposed into the pelvis and groin area through subcutaneous tunnel, and serve as an antibiotic delivery system that aids in the eradication of infection. These findings suggest a reconstructive option for the defect of pelvis and groin, and/or bone infection in this area.