Three cases of the defects of theskin and soft tissuess of the heel orsole complicated with defect of thecalcaneus bone from trauma weretreated. Primary replantation andreconstruction surgery was applied.The author believed that the recon-struction of the defect of the heelshould include the repair of the heelstructures and the sensation of the sole.
Objective To investigate the surgical resection and reparation of heel with malignant melanoma. Methods Eight patients with malignant melanoma were treated from May 2001 to December 2003. The patients included 5 males and 3 females, and their ages ranged from 28 to 56 years. All lesions were located in theheel and were proved by pathological examination. According to Breslow classification, there were 2 cases of Grade Ⅰ, 5 cases of Grade Ⅱ, and 1 case of GradeⅢ. Local extensive resection was performed in all cases. Lateral pedal skin flap, plantar medial artery island skin flap, and retrograde skin flap supplied bysural nutrition blood vessel were respectively applied in the reparation according to the size of heel soft tissue defect. The treatment with interferon was delivered before and after the operation. Results The surgical reparation was successful in all 8 cases. The postoperative follow-up was conducted from 18 monthsto 4 years. All patients remained alive and no tumor recurrence was observed. Considering the recovery of the function and sense, the best result was acquired with plantar medial artery island skin flap and lateral pedal skin flap, good with retrograde skin flap supplied by sural nutrition blood vessel. Conclusion Local extensive resection is essential for the heel with malignant melanoma. Reparative reconstruction should be made on negative operative margin. Satisfactory clinical outcome is achieved by using lateral pedal skin flap, plantar medial artery island skin flap, and retrograde skin flap supplied by sural nutrition blood vessel.
Objective To investigate the clinical results of allograft and sural neurovascular flap in repairing calcaneus and skin defects.Methods From February 1996 to December 2002, allograft and sural neurovascular flap were used to repair calcaneusand skin defects in 6 cases. The causes included road accident in 3 cases, strangulation in 2 cases and crashing object in 1 case. The defect locations were at theback of the calcaneus( 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3 of calcaneus in 3 cases, 2 cases and 1case respectively). The flap area ranged from 6 cm×7 cm to 12 cm×17 cm. Results The flaps survived completely in 4 cases; the distal flaps necrosed partly in 2 cases and the wound healed by dressing. The postoperative X-ray films showed that the repaired bone and joint had normal position and the arcus plantaris recovered. After a follow upof 6 months to 3 years all the patients were achieved bone union in allograft and had no complications of absorption, infection and repulsion. The weightbearing and walking functions were restored and the injured foot obtained a satisfactory contour. After 36 months of operation, the sensory recovery of foot occurred. Conclusion The used-allograft iseasy to be obtained and arcus plantaris is easy to recover. The reversesural neurovascular- flap in repairing calcaneus and skin defects has the following advantages: the maintenance of blood supply for injured foot, the less dangerous operation, the simple procedure, the recovery of walking function, and the good appearance and sensation.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the anatomical basis of blood supply and heel reconstruction by reversed island fibular musculocutaneous flap. METHODS: The blood supply of fibular musculocutaneous flap and the biomechanical characteristics of heel were studied by anatomical examination. One case with right heel full defect because of explosion injury was repaired by transfer of reversed island fibular vessels. The fibular flap was 14 cm in length with part of peroneus muscle and long flexor muscle of great toe. RESULTS: The lower part of fibular artery had plentiful anastomosis with anterior tibial artery and posterior tibial artery, which could provide ideal reversed blood supply. The rotatory point of vessel pedicle could be chosen according to the need of operation. The lowest site might be above 6 cm to lateral malleolus, and the vessel pedicle was 20 cm in length. The morphological feature of the reversed island fibular musculocutaneous flap was suitable to the biomechanical character of heel. The patient achieved satisfactory clinical result, the musculocutaneous flap survived well for 10 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: The reversed island fibular musculocutaneous flap provide a new method for repairing the severe heel defect, especially in full defect of calcaneus and cuboid bone.
Objective To explore the feasibility of peroneal perforating chimeric tissue flap in repairing the composite defects of calf and heel based on lower limb angiography, and the clinical effect. Methods The digital subtraction angiography images of lower limbs of 50 patients met the selection criteria between May 2011 and October 2014 were used as the research object to observe the course of peroneal artery and its perforating vessels. Based on the observation results, between April 2015 and October 2020, the peroneal perforating chimeric tissue flap was designed to repair 7 cases of composite defects of the calf and heel. There were 5 males and 2 females with an average age of 38 years (range, 25-55 years). The causes of injury included traffic accident in 4 cases, falling from height in 2 cases, and machine strangulation in 1 case. There were 5 cases of calf skin defect and tibial defect. The size of skin defect ranged from 5 cm×3 cm to 11 cm×7 cm, and the length of bone defect was 5-8 cm. There were 2 cases of heel skin defect and calcaneal defect. The sizes of skin defects were 5.0 cm×4.0 cm and 7.5 cm×6.5 cm, and the bone defects were 3.0 cm×2.6 cm and 4.0 cm× 3.0 cm. For the calf defect, the size of skin flap ranged from 6 cm×4 cm to 12 cm×8 cm, and the length of the fibula was the same as that of the tibial defect. For the heel defect, the sizes of the skin flaps were 8.5 cm×5.5 cm and 13.0 cm×5.0 cm, and the lengths of the fibulae were 10 cm and 12 cm. Free transplantation was performed in 5 cases and pedicle transplantation in 2 cases. The wound at donor site was repaired with skin grafting or sutured directly. Results The peroneal artery ran close to the fibula 7.25-8.40 cm below the fibula head and send out 5-7 perforating vessels, with an average of 6.5 vessels. Perforating vessels mainly appeared in four places, which were (9.75±0.91), (13.21±0.74), (18.15±1.22), and (21.40±0.75) cm below the fibular head, with the occurrence rates of 94%, 90%, 96%, and 88%, respectively. Clinical application of 7 cases of peroneal perforating chimeric tissue flap all survived, all wounds healed by first intention. The skin graft at donor site survived and the incision healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6-36 months, with an average of 12 months. Peroneal perforator chimeric tissue flap had good shape and soft texture. X-ray films showed that the bone graft healed well, and the healing time was 6-11 months (mean, 7 months). No obvious bone resorption was observed during follow-up. Five patients had no pain when walking, and 1 had mild pain with claudication. Postoperative heel ulcers formed in 1 case and healed after wearing custom plantar pressure dispersing shoes. At 6 months after operation, 2 patients were rated as grade Ⅳ and 5 patients as grade Ⅴ according to Holden walking function score. ConclusionThe peroneal perforating vessel distribution is constant and the peroneal perforating chimeric tissue flap is safe and reliable for repairing the composite defects of calf and heel.
OBJECTIVE To research the result of defect repairing on heel with island-shaped fascial flap of lateral foot. METHODS: Twelve cases of soft tissue defected on heel, who were resulted from trauma, chronic ulcer, chronic osteomyelitis, squamous carcinoma, and necrosis following frozen injury, were treated by transfer of island-shaped fasical flap of lateral foot. RESULTS Only 2 patients suffered marginal necrosis of flap in early stage and healed after changing dressing. The others succeeded completely. All the cases were followed up for 8 to 78 months. There was no recurrence of squamous carcinoma, no fistula or necrosis bone formed. The sensation of the flap recovered. The repaired area was similar to the heel in skin texture. CONCLUSION For the characteristics of heel skin, the transfer of island-shaped fascial flap of lateral foot has the following advantages: Similar structure of skin, reliable nerve and blood supply, simple operative techniques, and large area of donor flap.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of different flaps in the treatment of skin defect of hell. METHODS: Forty-six patients with skin defect of hell were adopted in this study. There were 39 males and 7 females, 29 years old in average. Six different flaps were applied in the reconstructive operation, 14 plantaris medialis flaps, 4 flexor digitorum brevis muscle flaps, 3 abductor hallucis flaps, 7 latissimus dorsi flaps, 16 distal medialis flaps of leg pedicled with the cutaneous branch of posterior fibial artery, 2 foot dorsum flaps. RESULTS: All the flaps survived, primary healing of the wound in 45 cases and secondary healing in 1 case. Followed up for 3 months to 4 years, 43 patients obtained good flap sensation, the function of weight bearing were satisfied in 43 patients. CONCLUSION: The six different flaps should be applied according to patient’s condition individually. The sensation of flap is very important to the function of weight bearing.