[The crossed-leg flap with the fixateur externe technic].

As an introduction statements from literature and own experience are used to show and evaluate the present possibilities for the coverage of skin and soft tissue defects. As a routine operation the stemmed cross-leg flap is further on indicated on the lower leg. For the immobilisation of the legs wer use the fixateur externe. This kind of fixation has got advantages compared to plaster casts: optimal position of the two lower legs to each other, a local and general handling of the nursing with only few problems and a subjective relief for the patient. Moreover, flaps and transplant base can be connected permanently and without tension during the operation by fine adjustment of the fixateur externe, while postoperative functional strains of the neighbouring joints are possible to a certain degree. The technique of assembling the fixateur externe, i.e. immobilisation of the legs by Schanz screws and the AO-tubular system is described in detail. The results of a collective of 21 patients with mostly infectious soft tissue defects after an osteomyelitis of the tibia were checked by control examinations. There were no disadvantages for the donor leg following the use of Schanz screws. According to the presented results the settling of cross-leg flaps has been improved by the fixateur-externe-technique. Together with other authors we can recommend this method.