title: Soft-tissue reconstruction of the foot with distally based neurocutaneous flaps in diabetic patients.
abstract: Soft-tissue coverage of the foot in diabetic patients is often a difficult problem to undertake. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of distally based neurocutaneous flaps for foot reconstruction in diabetic patients. The authors describe their experience with a series of 10 diabetic patients in whom reconstruction of defects of the foot (range, 6 x 11-10 x 12 cm) were performed using distally based sural and saphenous neurocutaneous flaps. In 9 patients the flap survived completely and in only 1 patient was superficial marginal necrosis of the flap observed. Partial skin graft loss at the donor site occurred in 1 patient, but no additional surgical revision was needed and healing occurred by secondary intention. In these diabetic patients, defects were reconstructed successfully using neurocutaneous flaps, and good results were achieved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kartal Dr. Lütfü Kijrdar Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Mithat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akan
authors.forename: Tayfun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aköz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000294:innervation*; D014945:Wound Healing