Skin Grafts and Flaps

Skin grafts

Skin transferred from one area of the body to the other.  This requires an excellent “bed” or recipient site for the graft to survive.  Common indications include burn surgery and repair of very large wounds.  Common donor areas include the groin (full-thickness graft) or thigh (split-thickness graft)

Flaps

As opposed to grafts, flaps by definition keep their own blood supply intact.  For this reason, the “bed” does not have to be as healthy for a flap to survive.  Other advantages of flaps are improved appearance of the skin and less propensity to contracture.  Flaps can consist of skin, muscle, fascia, bone or a combination of these.