0000000000962006

AUTHOR

Tania Cubison

Our Definition of Propeller Flaps and Their Classification

AbstractThe term propeller flap was introduced for the first time by Hyakusoku to define an island flap, based on a subcutaneous pedicle hub, that was rotated 90 degrees to correct scar contractures due to burns. With the popularization of perforator flaps, the propeller movement was applied for the first time to a skin island vascularized only by an isolated perforator, and the terms propeller and perforator flap were used together. Thereafter, the surgical technique of propeller flaps evolved and new applications developed. With the “Tokyo consensus,” we proposed a definition and a classification schema for propeller flaps. A propeller flap was defined as an “island flap that reaches the …

research product

The "Tokyo" consensus on propeller flaps

Background: Overthepastfewyears,theuseofpropellerflaps,whichbasetheir blood supply on subcutaneous tissue or isolated perforators, has become in- creasingly popular. Because no consensus has yet been reached on terminology and nomenclature of the propeller flap, different and confusing uses of the term can be found in the literature. Methods: Inthisarticle,theauthorsreporttheconsensusonthedefinitionand classification of propeller flaps reached by the authors that gathered at the First Tokyo Meeting on Perforator and Propeller Flaps in June of 2009. Some peculiar aspects of the surgical technique are discussed. Results: A propeller flap can be defined as an “island flap that reaches the reci…

research product