[Covering skin-soft tissue defects with a free forearm flap in exposed osteosynthesis material in the area of the lower leg].

Soft tissue defects in the lower leg with exposed internal fixation plates frequently pose problems to the surgeon. Substantial defects in the distal lower leg should be covered by free tissue transplantation. Very good results can be achieved in such cases using the radial forearm flap. This flap can be used for covering exposed internal fixation plates in selected patients. The authors present four such cases. The flaps healed well in all cases and fracture healing was without delay. Bone fixation procedure did not have to be changed.