title: Piecrusting to Facilitate Skin Closure.
abstract: Wound dehiscence and infection may arise when the skin around the foot or ankle is closed under tension after a surgical incision or trauma. Two cases where a piecrusting technique, using small transdermal incisions made in the surrounding skin similar to the holes in a pie crust, are presented and a literature review of the technique has been performed. The multiple small stab incisions perpendicular to the line of tension have enabled skin closure without tension and have healed with minimal scarring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level V: Expert opinion.
authors.affiliation: Foot and Ankle Unit, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, UK.
authors.forename: Dishan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Foot and Ankle Unit, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, UK 1adamlomax@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lomax
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000517:prevention & control; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: bilateral forefoot reconstruction; fishmouthing; lace patterning; meshing technique; multiple relaxing skin incisions; multiple superficial short skin incisions; piecrusting; skin incisions; wound closure; wound dehiscence; wound healing