A rotation flap is a semicircular skin flap that is rotated into the defect on a fulcrum point.
Rotation flaps provide the ability to mobilize large areas of tissue with a wide vascular base for reconstruction.
The flap must be adequately large, and a large base is necessary if a back-cut will be needed to lengthen the flap.
If the flap is too small, the residual defect can be covered by mobilizing the surrounding tissue.
A drawback of rotation flaps is the extended cutting and undermining needed to create the flap, thus increasing the risk of hemorrhage and nerve damage.