title: Availability of the lateral calcaneal region as a donor site of free flaps.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various methods have been used for the coverage of soft-tissue defects, such as local and free flaps, as well as perforator flaps performed using even supermicrosurgery. However, the techniques have some limitations regarding flap size and location when used to reconstruct small defects. We introduced the lateral calcaneal region as a donor site for free flaps in order to overcome these disadvantages and presented the results from a series of cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review was performed on 10 patients with small soft-tissue defects who underwent reconstruction with a lateral calcaneal free flap between January 2011 and May 2014. The reconstruction was performed on the defects at medial and lateral plantar area, dorsum of the foot, great toes and preauricular area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The size of the flaps ranged from 2.5 × 2.5 cm to 4.5 × 4.5 cm. The flaps exhibited complete survival in five cases. Partial necrosis occurred in three cases, two cases healed with secondary intention, and one case required a skin graft. The donor sites were treated with skin grafts and healed completely, with no complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lateral calcaneal free flaps have several advantages, such as anatomically constant pedicles, a pliable and thin texture, and the ability to be used as sensory flaps. They therefore represent an alternative option when conventional local or free flaps are not suitable, especially in cases of small defects. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 37:494-501, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, 156-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Seoul National University, Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, 156-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Ung
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, 156-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Tack
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps / Q000098:blood supply / Q000637:transplantation*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*