Paraspinous muscle flaps for the treatment and prevention of cerebrospinal fluid fistulas in neurosurgery.

Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of paraspinous muscle flaps in preventing and managing cerebrospinal fluid fistulas in high-risk neurosurgery patients. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of paraspinous muscle flap coverage using a "vest-over-pants" closure in the prevention and treatment of cerebrospinal fluid fistulas.

Background: Previous studies have described paraspinous muscle flaps for the closure of complex spinal wounds, but none has addressed their use for the prevention and treatment of cerebrospinal fluid fistulas.

Methods: This prospective clinical study evaluated nine consecutive patients with either refractory cerebrospinal fluid fistulas or high risk for cerebrospinal fluid leaks after spinal surgery. Bilateral paraspinous muscle flaps were used as primary flaps and closed using an overlapping vest-over-pants technique in eight of nine cases. The latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles were recruited as additional muscle flaps for closure of thoracolumbar and high thoracic deficits, respectively.

Results: Paraspinous muscle flaps provided immediate wound coverage in seven high-risk patients undergoing spinal surgery and two patients with recurrent cerebrospinal fluid fistulas. Postoperative hospitalization averaged 14.4 days. There was no evidence of a cerebrospinal fluid fistula after an average follow-up of 176.7 days. No wound infections occurred. The only complications were a superficial hematoma, which was drained percutaneously on postoperative day 6, and a seroma, which was drained during the follow-up period and eventually resolved.

Conclusions: Paraspinous muscle flaps allow effective treatment and prevention of cerebrospinal fluid fistulas in selected high-risk patients and provide simple durable coverage of complex spinal wounds with minimal morbidity.