title: Surgical management of a diabetic calcaneal ulceration and osteomyelitis with a partial calcanectomy and a sural neurofasciocutaneous flap.
abstract: The treatment of calcaneal osteomyelitis in diabetic patients poses a great challenge to the treating physician and surgeon. The use of a distally based sural neurofasciocutaneous flap after an aggressive debridement of non-viable and poorly vascularized tissue and bone that is combined with a thorough antibiotic regimen provides a great technique for adequate soft tissue coverage of the heel. In this case report, the authors describe the aforementioned flap as a versatile alternative to the use of local or distant muscle flaps for diabetic patients with calcaneal osteomyelitis and concomitant large wounds.
authors.affiliation: Hand Surgery-Upper Limb and Microsurgery Department, KAT General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ignatiadis
authors.forename: Vassiliki A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Tsiampa
authors.forename: Dimitrios K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Arapoglou
authors.forename: Georgios D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Georgakopoulos
authors.forename: Nicolaos E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gerostathopoulos
authors.forename: Vasilios D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Polyzois