Abstract
Reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the lower leg and foot after traumatic injury
is a challenging problem owing to lack of locally reliable flaps. The traditional
options for wound coverage often do not provide feasible or adequate treatment for
many of these wounds. The lack of skin laxity in the lower leg and foot often make
local flaps unavailable. Split-thickness skin grafts will not be robust enough. Free
tissue flaps have a litany of potential complications and guaranteed comorbidities.
The present case reinforces that appropriately selected patients with significant
open bony and soft tissue trauma to the foot and ankle can be treated with a reverse
sural artery fasciocutaneous flap. The reverse sural artery flap allows for full-thickness
skin coverage with its own blood supply, maximizing the healing potential and should
be considered a viable first option for soft tissue coverage.
Level of Clinical Evidence
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 06, 2018
Footnotes
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Conflict of Interest: None reported.
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. All rights reserved.