Coverage of wounds in the distal lower leg by advancement of an enlarged medial gastrocnemius skin flap.

Advancement of a medial gastrocnemius flap is a new technique in treating skin defects of the lower third of the lower leg, including that at the anteromedial aspect of the distal portion of the lower leg. Satisfactory results have been obtained in two clinical cases using this technique. In this modified technique, the size of the flap is enlarged, the origin of the medial head of the gastrocnemius is severed so that the island myocutaneous flap may be advanced 8 to 9 cm distally, and good blood supply to the flap is also maintained. In the authors' opinion, this method is a new approach that is simple, easy, safe, and reliable in treating skin defects of the lower leg.