The exposed knee joint: five case reports

In both emergency and chronically infected cases, the exposed knee joint cavity should be immediately covered using a simple method which provides well-vascularized elastic tissue over the joint. We used a gastrocnemius musculocutaneous or muscle flap over the exposed knee joint in three emergency cases of complex, massive avulsion injury of the lower extremity and in two infected cases. No infectious complications were observed, although ligament reconstructions were made under the transposed muscle in one and the same session.