title: [Syme amputation in heel defects].
abstract: The main advantage of Syme's amputation is the end-bearing stump. A defective heel pad often leads to below-knee amputation. The question of interest is whether an atypical cutaneous flap also provides a covering for the stump adaptable to weight-bearing. Thirteen patients with heel pad ulcers or tumors who could not be attended to with a classic Syme's amputation were operated on in a modified fashion. Skin from the dorsum of the foot or a medial flap was used for covering the stump. Two patients underwent transtibial amputation. The remaining 11 patients received a covering for the end of the stump composed of tissue thick and bulky enough for weight-bearing in a prosthesis typical for a Syme stump. The results show that a transtibial amputation can be prevented by atypical soft-tissue coverage of a Syme stump with satisfactory results regarding function and cosmetics.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Technische Orthopädie und Rehabilitation, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. akoller@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hafkemeyer
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wetz
mesh_terms: D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D000672:Amputation Stumps; D001186:Artificial Limbs; D005260:Female; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006365:Heel / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016474:Weight-Bearing