Vastus lateralis flaps for chronic recalcitrant hip infection

Between January 1991 and May 1994, 11 patients with chronic recalcitrant infection of the hip joint were successfully treated by transposition of a vastus lateralis flap. The average duration of the infection was 7.9 months. The patients had undergone an average of 2.8 procedures in an attempt to eradicate the infection before transposition of the flap. Three patients had recurrence of drainage after the procedure and were successfully treated with antibiotics and local debridement. Delayed exchange total hip arthroplasty was performed in 2 patients. All the patients achieved wound healing and infection resolution. This flap has several advantages. The donor site has not usually been scarred from previous operations; the flap has a consistent vascular pedicle which permits a wide arc of rotation; knee extension is unaffected; the transposed portion of the vastus lateralis can act as a cushion between the acetabulum and the proximal femur; it may also act as a tether to prevent extreme proximal migration of the femur. In the management of chronic recalcitrant infection of the hip, use of a transposition flap can be combined with a Girdlestone arthroplasty. It can also be an interim procedure before a further total joint arthroplasty.