[Is it sensible to use fix and flap also in old age?].

In older patients the optimal treatment strategy of complex bone and soft tissue injuries represents a new challenge. Currently, two treatment approaches are in competition. Whereas the amputation of the limb represents a rapid solution including short postoperative hospitalization, limb preservation in cases of open fractures is frequently associated with prolonged hospitalization and sometimes unsatisfactory functional outcomes. Therefore, especially in old patients the advantages and disadvantages should be weighed up. A possible alternative to the currently frequently used multistep procedure for limb preservation with continuous negative pressure treatment is the fix and flap or emergency free flap approach. Based on the case of a convulsion trauma in an 85-year-old patient, this case report describes a treatment approach for Gustilo-Anderson type IIIc fractures using a fix and flap procedure for limb preservation.