Reconstruction of Extensive Post–Electric Burn Scalp Defects With Exposed Bones: A Study of 12 Cases

The scalp is a unique part of the human body with respect to its shape and position. It is the part of the body that is usually exposed in its original form, with no covering by any means of clothing. In workplaces, especially in the electrical industry in the area of electrical substations and power transmission lines it is this part of the body that can easily come in contact with high tension electrical wires. Others who can be prone to suffer such injuries are pedestrians, people working on heights, ladies hanging clothes on terraces. This case series includes 12 patients who sustained high-voltage electric burn injury to the scalp. Of the reconstructive options used, 2 were free flaps, 1 was a distant flap, and 9 were local flaps. Of the 2 free flaps, there was loss of 1 free flap due to thrombosis, which was later reconstructed with extracorporeal radial forearm flap.Of the 9 local flaps, therewas partial flap necrosis in 2 cases, which required debridement and the wounrds healed secondarily. There was recurrent osteomyelitis in 1 patient who underwent sequestrectomy. In conclusion, the results obtained, in all the patients, were satisfactory without necessitating a bony reconstruction.