Abstract
Medical plantar flap is used for the reconstruction of plantar skin defects in weight-bearing areas. However, this flap is indicated for proximal areas such as the heel. To reconstruct distal areas, the flap should be a reverse-flow flap, as reported for the feeding artery. In this report, we present two cases of medial plantar flaps vascularized by reverse-flow lateral plantar artery.
In case 1, a 46-year-old man had squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor was excised. The resultant defect was covered with the flap, which was removed by V-Y plasty. The distally removed distance was about 5 cm.
In case 2, a 19-year-old man had a chronic ulcer of the left foot laterally. His past medical history included spina bifida and myelomeningocele. Therefore his foot had mild clubfoot deformity and decreased sensation. The flap was applied and covered the skin defect completely. The edge of the flap reached a distance of 7 cm laterally. However, the flap was congested, so we performed venous anastomosis.
The flap is useful for lateral plantar skin defects. Venous anastomosis is required if the flap may be congested.
