[Free flap of the rectus abdominis muscle in covering of tissue defects of the lower limb].

The rectus abdominis is one of the free flaps available to reconstruct soft tissue defects of the lower limb. After a short description of anatomy and surgical technique we report 7 recent cases showing the versatility and reliability of this flap. It may be used to cover large soft tissue defects without functional or esthetic sequelae at the donor site.