Transfer of latissimus dorsi muscle as myocutaneous flap

Latissimus dorsi muscle can be transferred as a muscle flap, myocutaneous flap or as a functioning muscle. It can also be used as free muscle or myocutaneous flap. Its long vascular pedicle makes it possible to rotate this muscle through a wide arc of rotation covering neck and upper extremity. It is a large muscle with extensive area and is ideally suited to cover large areas of skin defect. We are reporting eight cases of latissimus dorsi transfer as a myocutaneous flap to cover the skin defects in neck, axilla and upper extremity. Two cases were post-burn and five post-traumatic. One defect was secondary to excision of a large neurofibroma in the area of elbow. Most of the defects at donar sites could be closed primarily. There was only a partial marginal necrosis of transferred tissue in one case. Based upon the knowledge of its vascular anatomy, part of the muscle can be used for transfer which makes the flap less bulky and it can be tailored exactly to the primary defect.