Reverse sural artery flap cover in management of foot and ankle defects

Dr.Srinivasan Rajappa; Dr.P.Gopinath Menon; Dr.M.Mohan Kumar; Dr.R.Dorai Kumar

Volume : VI, Issue : IV, April - 2016

Reverse sural artery flap cover in management of foot and ankle defects

Dr. Srinivasan Rajappa, Dr. P. Gopinath Menon, Dr. M. Mohan Kumar, Dr. R. Dorai Kumar

Abstract :

Post traumatic defects of the foot and ankle are very common. It is a challenge to provide robust soft tissue cover for these defects. Microsurgical reconstruction requires time, expertise and finances which are not universally available. The reverse sural artery flap is a simple and efficient way of producing soft tissue cover to defects in the distal third of leg, ankle and forefoot. We describe our experience with 23 reverse sural flaps which were used to cover defects in the ankle and foot. All flaps were performed by a single surgeon under loupe magnification. 18(78%) of these flaps survived fully. Five flaps developed distal necrosis which required subsequent cover with STSG in three cases. The remaining two cases healed by secondary intention. All patients had decreased sensation in the lateral border of the affected foot. The reverse sural artery flap is a very useful flap for covering soft tissue defects in the foot and ankle and can be performed in circumstances where microsurgical expertise is unavailable.