Combined Pedicled Trapezius Flap With Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Treating a Traumatic Chest Wall Defect With...

Traumatic chest wall defect normally involves severe tissue damage and easily develops into intrathoracic infection. The challenge for doctors is to control the infection and reconstruct the chest wall defect. However, not much experience has been reported on how to control the intrathoracic infection and reconstruct the chest wall defect when the most commonly used muscle flaps are damaged.

We present a case of a 46-year-old male patient who sustained a traumatic amputation of the right upper extremity in a forklift accident. The scapula and clavicle were partially amputated. The right lung was exposed to the outside and finally developed into intrathoracic infection. The intrathoracic infection was successfully controlled by applying negative pressure wound therapy, followed with reconstruction using a pedicled trapezius flap.

The patient resumed normal life after the surgery. No complications had developed at the 2-year follow-up. The respiratory function of the patient was barely affected, but the trapezius flap moved when the patient breathed.

This case report demonstrates the effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy in controlling intrathoracic infection after a traumatic chest wall defect as well as the possibility of applying trapezius muscle flap to reconstruct the chest defect when the commonly used muscle flaps are not available.