The heel, with its specialized fat for shock absorption at heel strike and large surface area for balance and weight bearing, is a important component of normal ambulation. Despite of distinguished improvement in the field of microsurgical free
flaps,
the choice of reconstruction of the heel has been remained controversial. We reviewed 22 cases of the heel reconstruction using vascularized free flaps from January, 1980 through May, 1993 at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of Korea
University
Hospital. The results were as follows:
1. The etiology was traumatic in 21 cases and chronic ulceration due to burn in 1.
2. The arteries used in free flaps were 11 dorsalis pedis arteries, 2 deep circumflex iliac arteries, 2 superficial iliac arteries, 2 branches of lateral femoral circumflex iliac arteries, 2 radial arteries, and 3 thorcodorsal arteries.
3. The mean size of the vascularized bone was 4.5cm×3.5cm, and that of skin flap was 12.1cm×9.2cm.
4. Of the 22 cases, 19 had a successful outcome and 3 in failure the causes of failre were thrombosis and infection.
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