[APPLICATION OF FREE BILOBED MEDIAL SURAL ARTERY PERFORATOR FLAP FOR REPAIRING PENETRATING WOUND OF FOOT].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effectiveness of the free bilobed medial sural artery perforator (BMSAP) flap to repair penetrating wound of the foot.

METHODS

Between April 2012 and October 2014, 7 cases of foot penetrating wounds were treated with the BMSAP flap. There were 5 males and 2 females, aged from 21 to 43 years (mean, 31.5 years). The causes of injury included the crush injury (4 cases), blunt puncture (2 cases), and firearm injury (1 case). The wound was located at the left foot in 4 cases and at the right foot in 3 cases. There were longitudinal penetrating injury in 5 cases and transverse penetrating injury in 2 cases. The size of wound ranged from 4 cm x 3 cm to 9 cm x 7 cm. The interval between injury and admission was 0.5-5.5 hours (mean, 3.2 hours). The free BMSAP flap of 5 cm x 4 cm-10 cm x 8 cm in size was used to repair the wounds on both sides and to reconstruct the sensation. The donor site was sutured or repaired with skin graft.

RESULTS

After operation, 1 case had distal flap necrosis, the flap survived after dressing change; 1 case had wound infection, and delayed healing was obtained after drainage; and the flap survived completely, and primary healing was obtained in the other 5 cases. The skin grafts survived and healing of incision by first intention was observed at donor sites. The patients were followed up from 7 to 24 months (mean, 12.5 months). The flap had soft texture and similar color to normal skin. According to the British Medical Research Council (BMRC) sensory function assessment system, 1 case was rated as S2, 4 cases as , and 2 cases as S₃+. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score was 86-97 (mean, 93.6); the results were excellent in 6 cases and good in 1 case.

CONCLUSION

The free BMSAP flap is very suitable to repair penetrating wound of the foot. The flap has the advantages of repairing the two wounds at the same time and reconstructing skin sensation as well.