Ilialflap

Ilialflap is a term occasionally used to describe a soft-tissue flap harvested from the iliac region for reconstructive purposes. The name derives from the ilium, part of the pelvic bone, and it is sometimes invoked to refer to fasciocutaneous tissue flaps in that area.

In contemporary practice, the concept overlaps with established flaps such as the deep circumflex iliac artery (DCIA) flap and iliac crest flaps. Some sources use the term “ilialflap” informally to refer to a skin or fasciocutaneous flap from the iliac region, rather than to a discrete, universally defined technique. Vascular supply is variable; a pedicle may arise from perforators of the DCIA or from branches of the superior or inferior gluteal arteries, and the flap may be raised as either a pedicled or a free flap.

Indications include defects in the head and neck, trunk, or extremities where iliac-region tissue offers suitable contour, thickness, and skin color, with the flap chosen to match patient-specific needs. Donor-site morbidity includes risks of abdominal wall weakness, hernia, seroma, and scar along the iliac crest; cosmetic and functional considerations may influence flap choice and patient counseling.

Overall, the term ilialflap is not widely used as a formal designation in modern surgical literature and is largely encompassed by more specific iliac-region flap nomenclature. See also: deep circumflex iliac artery flap, iliac crest flap, pedicled flaps of the trunk.