Clinical research on repairing large area soft tissue defects in heel and crus by flaps with double blood-supply of posterior tibial artery perforators and saphenous nerve nutrient vessels

Objective To summarize the curative effect of repairing large area soft tissue defects in heel and crus by flaps with double blood-supply of posterior tibial artery perforators and saphenous nerve nutrient vessels.Methods From January 2006 to February 2012,twenty cases took operation under the guide of Continuous Wave Doppler and design of tibial artery perforator as rotation point.And in all cases,island flaps with the blood supply from saphenous nerve nutrient vessels and tibial artery perforator were retained to repair large area soft tissue defects in heel and crus.In operations,the range of flap area were ranged from 19 cm × 11 cm to 11 cm × 8 cm.Skin flaps incision was up to the patella margin level,low to medial malleolus on edge,former to crus former median line,rear to after crus median line and farthest to the surface of wound on the metatarsophalangeal joint.Results Nineteen cases survived,and 1 case of skin flap mild necrosis at the farthest side took a second-phase line skin flap to repair.Followed-up from 6 months to 24 months was taken in all cases at the mean time of 10 months,with a result of good recovery and no ulceration for the flaps.To varying degree,all flaps recover sense of pain and deep touch.Conclusion There is no wound to posterior main tibial artery in repairing large area soft tissue defects in heel and crus by flaps with double blood-supply from posterior tibial artery perforators and saphenous nerve nutrient vessels,meanwhile to maintain double blood-supply from posterior tibial artery perforators and saphenous nerve nutrient vessels and expand the range of blood supply of posterior tibial artery perforators.In this operation,a blood circulation for the flap can be guaranteed so as for a large wound in heel and crus. Key words: Posterior tibial artery;  Saphenous nerve;  Heel;  Crus ;  Perforating flap