Pedicled groin flaps for upper-extremity reconstruction in the elderly: a report of 4 cases.

The pedicled groin flap is a useful, versatile flap for coverage of wounds of the hand and distal forearm. It produces predictable results with a procedure that is much less difficult to perform and takes less time than a free-tissue transfer. Contrary to the general belief that the groin flap should not be used in the elderly because of the risk of shoulder stiffness, we found satisfactory results with this procedure in 4 elderly patients (age range, 59-75 y) when immediate shoulder mobilization was instituted and physical therapy was continued during flap maturation and pedicle division. Copyright 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation