Objective To explore a safe, highlyefficient and rapid approach to the repair of the sacrum soft tissue defect and/or partial exposure of the bone.Methods From February 2003 to April 2006, 6 patients (4 males, 2 femals; aged 28-67 years) with the sacrum soft tissue defect were surgically treated by the multiisland flap with shallow branches of the gluteus upper artery. The soft tissue defects ranged in area from 15 cm×12 cm to 25 cm×20 cm,averaged 20 cm×16 cm.The obtained flaps ranged in area from 18 cm×15 cm to 30 cm×25 cm. Of the patients, 5 had a sacral ulcer (Grade Ⅲ in 3 patients, Grade Ⅳ in 2) and 1 had a tumor, with their illness course from 3weeks to 20 years. Results All the flaps survived completely in the 6 patients, in whom 5 had an incision healing of the first intention, and the remaining 1had a healing of the second intention 32 days after the treatment for the minorischemia and necrosis at the edges of the flap.The follow-up for 2-38 months (average, 19.3 months) revealed that all the flaps grew well with no recurrence of the sacralulcer. Conclusion The surgical treatment with the multi-island flap with shallow branches of the gluteus upper artery is a safe, highly-efficient and rapid approach to repair of the sacrum soft tissue defect and/or partial exposure of the bone. This kind of treatment has advantages of simpler procedures, better blood circulation of the flap, fewer complications, and higher success rates.
