myocutaneous

Myocutaneous describes tissue consisting of muscle with an overlying skin component. In surgical terms, a myocutaneous flap is a unit of muscle and skin that can be mobilized to cover a defect while maintaining its blood supply. The flap may be raised as a pedicled flap, staying attached to its native vessels, or as a free flap, transferred to another site and revascularized by microvascular anastomosis. The skin paddle usually depends on perforating vessels that traverse the muscle to preserve viability.

Common myocutaneous flaps include designs based on the latissimus dorsi, gracilis, pectoralis major, and rectus abdominis muscles. They are used to provide soft tissue coverage, bulk, and a reliable blood supply for defects after cancer resection or trauma. Clinical planning considers vascular anatomy, tissue bulk, donor-site morbidity, and functional implications. Advantages include robust vascularity, flexibility in shaping the reconstruction, and the ability to fill dead spaces. Limitations can include bulkiness, cosmetic deformity, and functional loss at the donor site.

Complications may include partial or complete flap loss, infection, seroma, hematoma, wound dehiscence, and donor-site issues. Although effective, myocutaneous flaps are one option among several in reconstructive microsurgery, with choice guided by defect size, location, and patient factors.