[Distally-based sural musculocutaneous flap for chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical significance of the distally-based sural musculocutaneous flap for the treatment of chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis.

METHODS

From January 2002 to October 2005, 7 patients (4 males, 3 females; age range, 15-68 years) were treated with the distally-based sural musculocutaneous flap, who had chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis after calcaneal fracture. After the radical debridement for all the nonviable and poorly vascularized tissues, all the chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis patients, who had suffered from open calcaneal fracture or closed calcaneal fracture, were treated with the open reduction, the internal fixation, and the bone graft. The ulcer lasted for 3-12 months before diagnosis of osteomyelitis. The musculocutaneous flaps ranged in size from 8 cm x 4 cm to 12 cm x 7 cm and the muscle flaps ranged from 4 cm x 3 cm to 6 cm x 5 cm. The donor defects were closed primarily in 5 patients and were resurfaced with the split-thickness skin graft in 2 patients.

RESULTS

All the musculocutaneous flaps survived completely and all the wounds healed smoothly. All the patients followed up for 2-6 months had no recurrence of osteomyelitis or return to their preoperative ambulatory status.

CONCLUSION

It is feasible to use the distally-based sural musculocutaneous flap for treatment of chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis.