Distally based perforator flaps for reconstruction of post-traumatic defects of the lower leg and foot. A review of the anatomy and clinical outcomes.

STUDY AIMS: To report the surgical anatomy of the perforator arteries at the lower leg, analyse clinical outcomes in previous studies, and forward methodological recommendations for future studies of post-traumatic perforator flap reconstructions.

METHODS

A study sample of 640 human patients drawn from 24 clinical reports was included for review. The sample comprised of four subsets: sural flap reconstructions (n=257), saphenous flaps (n=122), supramalleolar flaps (n=92), and propeller flaps (n=169).

RESULTS

Statistical analysis of samples from anatomical studies documents significant differences in the perforator distribution from the tibial and peroneal artery; peroneal perforator arteries are randomly organised whereas tibial artery perforators are clustered at three definite levels. The failure rates in clinical studies ranged from 0% to 6%, being lowest for supramalleolar flap reconstructions and highest for saphenous flaps; however, differences between the four subsets were not statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Due to methodological flaws, outcome comparisons in the actual study sample should be interpreted cautiously; in most clinical studies both risk variables and outcome indicators are poorly defined. The outcome of Dynamic Infrared Thermography imaging of post-transposition changes of flap perfusion is reported.

SUMMARY: Fasciocutaneous perforator flaps seem to have high survival rates and represent a feasible approach to post-traumatic reconstructions, especially in low-resource settings. A template for data gathering is recommended for higher accuracy in future comparative studies, and for scientific analysis of success and risk factors. New imaging techniques indicate a promising potential of micro-circular angiogenesis during the first two weeks after flap transpose.