RESUMO
Objective To explore the application value of the lower leg perforator flaps in repairing soft tissue defect on ankle.Methods From January 2007 to December 2012,62 cases of soft tissue defect on ankles have been repaired.The defects were combined with tendon and/or bone exposure for all the cases,among them 7 cases were exposure or sinus tract after achilles tendon rupture surgery,8 cases with ankle or intertarsal joint defect and exposure,24 cases with distal tibia fracture,or medial malleolus fracture,or lateral malleolus fracture,or calcaneus fracture,11 cases with different level of infection.Fifteen cases were primarily repair,and 47 cases were secondly repair or extended phase.The cases were repaired by applying different types retrograde transferred perforator pedicle flaps of lower legs,with 10 cases of posterior tibial artery perforator flaps on the medial malleolus,12 cases of front top flaps of com peroneal artery on external ankle,40 cases of back top flaps of peroneal artery on external ankle.The sizes of the flap ranged from 4.0 cm ×5.5 cm to 9.0 cm × 15.0 cm.Ten cases were applied direct suturing in donor site,and other cases were applied skin grafts to repair the defect.Results Flaps in 56 cases completely survived.Partial necrosis appeared in 3 cases of front top flaps of peroneal artery on external ankle,one perforator flap of posterior tibial artery on the medial malleolus and 2 cases of back top flaps of peroneal artery on external ankle.All these cases recovered after careful dressing changes.Sixty two cases were followed up for 3-12 months.Texture of flaps was soft with good elasticity.All of the donor skin grafts in patients survived.Conclusion Perforator flaps have the advantage of easy operation,little damage to the main blood vessels,high reliability in flap survival,less destroy to donor site.It is important that individualized flap is selected given different position of defect.