External oblique fasciocutaneous flap for elbow coverage.

The external oblique fasciocutaneous pedicle flap can be used for reconstruction of soft-tissue defects of the elbow. This flap has been used in five patients, and results have been good. The technique is appropriate in patients with recurrent defects of the elbow in whom local tissue has been previously used and is no longer available. With the development of local fasciocutaneous units, this method may have limited application. However, because of the relationship of this flap to the elbow, the procedure can be done easily and rapidly with minimal immobilization. It is a clinical impression that blood supply to the skin is enhanced by elevation of its underlying fascia. Anatomic dissections have demonstrated that there is an axial-pattern blood supply to this flap arising from the lateral border of the external oblique muscle.