EVALUATION STUDIES
JOURNAL ARTICLE
RESEARCH SUPPORT, NON-U.S. GOV'T
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Sural perforator flap for reconstructive surgery in the lower leg and the foot: a clinical study of 86 patients with post-traumatic osteomyelitis.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of post-traumatic osteomyelitis of the lower leg and the foot remains a challenge in reconstructive surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-six patients with lower leg post-injury chronic osteomyelitis were included in a retrospective, non-controlled clinical study conducted from 1995 to 2006. All study patients were managed by distally based sural neuro-fascio-cutaneous perforator flap. An endpoint survey was conducted after flap surgery and had a mean follow-up period of 5.5 years, wherein the response rate was 48%.

RESULTS: Seven patients had a short-term flap failure (8%; 95% CI 3-16%). An additional eight patients (7%) had flap necrosis of less than one-fourth of the flap that healed without surgical revision. Based on the endpoint data, the long-term success rate was 87% (95%, CI 72-96%). Local and/or systemic physiological compromise was a risk factor for flap failure. Other assumed risk factors had no statistically significant impact on short- or long-term results.

CONCLUSION: Sural perforator flap is a robust flap with low failure rate, even in high-risk patients. The success rate compares favourably with results of free flap transfers in the management of post-traumatic osteomyelitis. The flap has a wide range, and the surgical technique is rather simple. The sural flap is a feasible option for post-traumatic reconstructions of osteomyelitis, especially in low-resource settings.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app