A 50-cm fillet flap for preservation of maximal lower extremity residual limb length

A 50-cm fillet flap permitted above-knee amputation in lieu of hip disarticulation in a 20-year-old woman who had sustained severe injuries in a motorcycle accident. Although the flap was unusually long, the principles followed were the same as those for posterior flaps used in below-knee amputations and fillet flaps of the digits. The flap allowed preservation of maximal length in the residual limb and fully sensible skin coverage, both of which facilitated prosthetic usage.