Meningomyelocele skin defects

Meningomyelocele skin defects in ten newborn infants were closed with bilateral lumbar transposition flaps and split-thickness skin grafts. Eight repairs healed promptly without incident. The superficial layer of the flaps in one patient necrosed and were replaced by skin grafts. One patient died of pneumonia and overwhelming sepsis, though the flaps and grafts were healing without reaction. These flaps were useful, even when small, because their placement could be varied to completely cover the defect.