[The role of perforator flaps in the management of pelvic-trochanteric pressure ulcers. Literature review and proposal of a treatment algorithm].

Introduction: Surgery for pelvic-trochanteric pressure ulcers requires complex multidisciplinary management. Perioperative complications are common, as are distant recurrences. Perforator flaps are currently widely used for this indication, with the main advantages being that they avoid muscle sacrifice, reduce skin detachment in useful perforasomes, and shift the skin tension associated with remote removal of the pressure ulcer.

Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature and a retrospective study of patients treated in two French expert centres over the last nine years concerning the complication and recurrence rates of fasciocutaneous, musculocutaneous and perforating flaps. We used these data to propose a treatment algorithm for the use of perforator flaps in the therapeutic arsenal.

Results: Out of 1210 publications studied, 92 articles were selected covering 4105 patients. The overall complication rate was 23.9% (CI 95% 23.44-24.42) and the recurrence rate was 12.4% (CI 95% 11.90-12.82) with a significant advantage in both cases for perforator flaps. We included in our cohort study 416 flaps performed on 399 patients with spinal cord injuries between 2015 and 2024. A significant reduction in the recurrence rate was observed with the use of a perforator flap (OR 0.47 [0.30; 0.74], P=0.001).

Conclusion: Perforator flaps are an indispensable solution in the current therapeutic arsenal for pelvic-trochanteric pressure ulcers coverage. More reliable and reducing long-term recurrence, they do not replace other types of flaps, which remain highly indicated. Our algorithm allows for the use of different types of flaps with a view to preserving muscle and skin in a population at risk of recurrence.