Transposition of the sartorius muscle in the treatment of infected vascular grafts in the groin.

Out of 15 consecutive deep graft-infections during a 5-year-period, 12 cases were treated by local debridement, disinfectants, graft replacement and sartorius muscle transposition. The treatment was successful in 10 cases, which have shown no sign of re-infection. Three grafts occluded during the observation period (2 weeks, 2 months and 15 months), resulting in amputation in one patient. The method is recommended as the treatment of choice in Szilagyi type III infections limited to the groin.