Abstract
Soft tissue defects of the pretibial area and the foot are among the most common complications in patients with lower extremity injuries and remain a challenge for surgeons. This study examined the clinical effects of repairing pretibial and foot soft tissue defects with a medial crural fasciocutaneous flap. Twenty-three injury cases with soft tissue defects in the middle/lower parts of the tibia and ankle/heel were treated. Of these, 8 injuries were in the lower pretibial region, 11 injuries were in the heel, and 4 injuries were in the dorsalis pedis. The dimensions of the soft tissue defects ranged from 7 cm × 5 cm to 18 cm × 10 cm. The crural fasciocutaneous flap was used for wound repair in all cases. The skin harvest dimensions ranged from 12 cm × 6 cm to 23 cm × 12 cm, and the width of the reverse flap pedicle was greater than 4 cm. The patients were followed up for 6 to 27 months postsurgery. All flaps survived and appeared healthy, and leg function was satisfactorily recovered. Five patients suffered from distal flap necrosis and 2 patients suffered from effusion. The area of the crural fasciocutaneous flap harvest appeared to have a good blood supply, and the procedure was easy to perform without injuries to the main vasculature. In conclusion, the medial crural fasciocutaneous flap is a safe and effective clinical intervention for the reconstruction of soft tissue defects of the pretibial area and foot.
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