title: Lateral calcaneal artery adipofascial flap for reconstruction of the posterior heel of the foot.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soft tissue defects of the posterior heel of the foot present difficult reconstructive problems. This paper reports the authors' early experience of five patients treated with a lateral calcaneal artery adipofascial flap.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2003 and 2007, five patients (3 males and 2 females) with soft-tissue defects over the posterior heel underwent a reconstruction using a lateral calcaneal artery adipofascial flap and a full-thickness skin graft. The flap sizes ranged from 3.5 x 2.5 cm to 5.5 x 4.0 cm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All five flaps survived completely with no subsequent breakdown of the grafted skin, even after regularly wearing normal shoes. The adipofascial flap donor sites were closed primarily in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lateral calcaneal artery adipofascial flaps should be included in the surgical armamentarium to cover difficult wounds of the posterior heel of the foot. These flaps do not require the sacrifice of a major artery to the leg or foot, they are relatively thin with minimal morbidity at the donor site, and leave a simple linear scar over the lateral aspect of the foot.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Sang
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Goo Hyun
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Hyun Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Seung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Won Seok
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Min Bum
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Hag
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tae Woo
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D000071938:Fasciotomy; D005260:Female; D006365:Heel / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply