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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Plast Surg 2021; 54(03): 358-361
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735424
Case Series

“Like For Like” Reconstruction of Heel Pad with Medial Plantar Artery Flap—Functional and Aesthetic Outcomes in A Series of 19 Cases

Narayanamurthy Sundaramurthy
1   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Surya Rao Venkata Mahipathi
1   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Alagar Raja Durairaj
1   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Anand Prasath Jayachandiran
1   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Shalini Ranipet Selvaa
2   Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India
› Author Affiliations Funding/Grants Nil.
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Abstract

Heel pad loss can cause serious problems in weight-bearing and locomotion. The medial plantar artery (MPA) flap is a suitable “like for like” replacement. Nineteen patients whose heels were reconstructed with MPA flap between July 2015 and February 2020 were studied. All patients were assessed based on flap survival, functionality, and patient satisfaction. Loss of heel pad was due to diabetic ulcer (11), trauma (6), tumor (1), and unstable scar (1). The largest flap measured 9 × 7 cm. Sixteen flaps were done as fasciocutaneous flaps and three in combination with abductor hallucis muscle (AbdH). All the flaps survived. The average functional scores at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months were 86.86, 89.62, 89.38 and 97.33 based on AOSAS-AH score. Average patients' satisfaction was 8.7/10. To conclude, the MPA system is a versatile vascular axis providing “like for like” tissue for heel pad reconstruction which is reliable and durable.

Keywords

heel reconstruction - medial plantar artery flap - versatile medial plantar axis


Publication History

Article published online:
17 September 2021

© 2021. Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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