Free muscle transfer.

Eight cases of free muscle transfer with the use of microsurgical technique are reported, comprising five patients with Volkmann's contracture of the forearm, two with poliomyelitis, and one with an old brachial plexus injury. Operation was successful in the six patients with traumatic injuries, but proved unsuccessful in the two with poliomyelitis. Generally, the vessels and nerves of the recipient site were anastomosed with their counterparts in the grafted muscle. In one patient with an old brachial plexus paralysis in whom nerves in the recipient site could not be used, muscle graft an intercostal nerve transfer procedures were employed. In six cases, only muscle was transferred, and in two cases, the muscle together with an overlying skin flap was removed to reduce tension of the skin at the recipient site.