Flaps & Skin Cover

An island of skin which has its own blood supply is called a flap. When the skin is lost due to trauma or for any other reason and the bone or tendon are exposed or the wound is deep, it will need a robust skin cover which has a blood supply. While a large number of wounds heal with the passage of time, others require a flap cover.

Leg lengthening and reconstruction techniques are used to replace missing bone and to lengthen and/or straighten deformed bone segments. Treatment is often needed due to complications after injury and the correction of leg deformity including leg lengthening.

In a motor bike accident, this patient sustained a major injury to his foot and the heel. The primary opinion was for an amputation. As is seen, the skin is lost on top of the foot with exposed tendons. Similarly the heel also lost in the road accident. The aim is to cover the exposed bone and tendons with a good quality skin which is soft and supple. It is also important to restore sensation in the heel.

During surgery, the top of the foot received a flap. Similarly the heel also receive a flap. A sensate flap was transferred from the non weight bearing instep to the heel. This flap restored sensation in the heel.

The top of the foot was covered with a flap called supra malleolar flap.