The use of a combined bipedicled axial perforator based fasciocutaneous flap for the treatment of a traumatic diabetic foot wound: a case report.

The axial and perforator vascularised fasciocutaneous flaps are reliable and effective treatment methods for covering lower limb post-traumatic, septic, Charcot, and diabetic foot wounds. The authors describe the unique utilisation of a hybrid flap as an axial-perforator flap combination for the treatment of a traumatic diabetic foot wound.

Distal posterior tibial artery perforator flaps for the management of calcaneal and Achilles tendon injuries in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

Management of Achilles tendon and heel area defects is a common challenge for the reconstructive surgeon due to the lack of soft tissue availability in that region. In this article, we present our experience in covering these defects by using the distal perforator propeller flaps based on the posterior tibial artery. Perforator flaps are based on cutaneous, small diameter vessels that originate from a main pedicle and perforate the fascia or muscle to reach the skin. Their development has followed the understanding of the blood supply from a source artery to the skin. Six patients (five males and one female) underwent reconstruction by using the posterior tibial artery distal perforator flap for covering defects in the distal Achilles tendon region in patients with and without diabetes mellitus. Postoperative complications included a hypertrophic scar formation in one patient, partial marginal flap necrosis in another patient, and a wound infection in a third patient. All wounds were eventually healed by the last postoperative visit. In conclusion, perforator flaps based on the distal posterior tibial artery may be a reliable option for the coverage of small to moderate size defects of the Achilles tendon and heel area regions.

The reverse sural fasciocutaneous flap for the treatment of traumatic, infectious or diabetic foot and ankle wounds: A retrospective review of 16 patients.

The authors present their experience with the use of sural fasciocutaneous flaps for the treatment of various soft tissue defects in the lower limb. This paper is a review of these flaps carried out between 2003 and 2008. The series consists of 16 patients, 11 men and 5 women with an average age of 41 years (17-81) and with a follow-up period between 2 and 7 years. The etiology was major velocity accident in six cases, diabetes mellitus with osteomyelitis after ORIF for fractures (2), work accident in five, and another two cases with complications of lower limb injuries. The defect areas were located on calcaneus, malleolar area, tarsal area and lower tibia. Associated risk factors in the patients for the flap performance were diabetes (five patients) and cigarette smoking (ten patients).The technique is based on the use of a reverse-flow island sural flap combined with other flaps in three cases (cross-leg, peroneal, gastrocnemius). The anatomical structures which constituted the pedicle were the superficial and deep fascia, the sural nerve, the lesser saphenous vein and skin.The flap was viable in all 15 patients. On 8 cases was achieved direct closure, on three cases occurred a superficial necrosis and was skin grafted, on one case was observed partial necrosis which was treated with a second flap (posterior tibial perforator flap) and another one occurred delayed skin healing.The sural fasciocutaneous flap is useful for the treatment of severe and complex injuries and their complications in diabetic and non diabetic lower limbs. Its technical advantages are easy dissection, preservation of more important vascular structures in the limb and complete coverage of the soft tissue defects in just one operation without the need of microsurgical anastomosis. Thus this flap offers excellent donor sites for repairing soft tissue defects in foot and ankle.

Surgical management of a diabetic calcaneal ulceration and osteomyelitis with a partial calcanectomy and a sural neurofasciocutaneous flap.

The treatment of calcaneal osteomyelitis in diabetic patients poses a great challenge to the treating physician and surgeon. The use of a distally based sural neurofasciocutaneous flap after an aggressive debridement of non-viable and poorly vascularized tissue and bone that is combined with a thorough antibiotic regimen provides a great technique for adequate soft tissue coverage of the heel. In this case report, the authors describe the aforementioned flap as a versatile alternative to the use of local or distant muscle flaps for diabetic patients with calcaneal osteomyelitis and concomitant large wounds.