Epidemiological profile and treatment of substance losses by trauma to the lower limbs.

OBJECTIVES to evaluate the epidemiological profile, the surgical treatment and the postoperative results of patients with complex traumatic injuries to the lower limbs. METHODS we conducted a retrospective study of patients with traumatic complex injuries treated by the Plastic Surgery Service of a regional hospital in Brasília. We analyzed clinical-epidemiological data, type of surgical procedure and functional recovery of the limb after six months of treatment. RESULTS 119 patients were treated, with a mean age of 29 years, predominantly men (76.4%). Motorcycle accident was responsible for most of the injuries, in 37.8% of cases. The most frequent surgical treatment was skin grafting (62.1%), followed by the fasciocutaneous flap (21.9%), muscular flap (12.6%) and microsurgical flap (3.4%). Six months after completion of the surgical treatment, 35.3% of the patients needed crutches to move, characterizing a delay in limb functional recovery that, however, was significantly related to the presence of fractures, external fixation or bone exposure in the preoperative period. CONCLUSION the profile of the patient with complex traumatic lower limb injury was a male, motorcycle accident victim, and grafting was the most used treatment. Orthopedic trauma with bone fracture, bone exposure and the presence of external fixator were significantly associated with a higher risk of limb functional impairment, requiring locomotion crutches after six months of treatment.