• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.80-85
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• 2022

The instep flap and medialis pedis flap are both originate based on the medial plantar artery. The medialis pedis flap is based from the deep branch and the instep flap is based from the superficial branch. To increase the axial rotation, it is acceptable to ligate the lateral plantar artery. However, this can partially affect the blood supply of the plantar metatarsal arch. We restored the blood flow with a vein graft between the posterior tibial artery and the ligated stump. From 2012 to 2020, 12 cases of heel reconstruction, including seven instep flaps and five medialis pedis flaps, were performed with ligation of the lateral plantar artery. The stump of the lateral plantar artery was restored with a vein graft and between the posterior tibial artery and the ligated stump. Patients were followed for 18 months. Long-term results showed the vascular restoration of the lateral plantar artery remained patent demonstrated by doppler ultrasonography. Restoring blood flow to the lateral plantar artery maintains good blood supply to the toes. If the patient in the future develops a chronic degenerative disease, with microvascular complications, bypass surgery can still be performed because of the patency of both branches.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 1993

Soft-tissue deficits over the plantar forefoot, plantar heel, Achilles tendon, and distal parts of lower leg are often troublesome to cover with a simple graft or local flap due to limited mobility of surrounding skin and poor circulation in these area. Soft-tissue reconstruction in these regions should provide tissue components similar to the original lost tissue, supply durability and minimal protective pressure sensation and result in a donor site that is well tolerated and treated. We analysed 7 cases that were treated with the Instep flap due to soft-tissue defects over these regions from July of 1990 to July of 1993. All flaps were viable and successful at follow-up. 1. The age ranged from 9 years to 60 years, and 6 cases were male and 1 case female. 2. The sites of soft-tissue loss were the plantar forefoot(1 case), plantar heel(3 cases), Achilles tendon(2 cases), and distal parts of lower leg(1 case). 3. The causes of soft-tissue loss were simple soft-tissue crushing injury(1 case), crushing injury of the 1st toe(1 case) and posttraumatic infection and necrosis(5 cases). 4. The associated injury were open distal tibio-fibula, fracture(2 cases), medial malleolar fracture of the ankle(1 case), Achilles tendon rupture(2 case) and 1st metatarso-phalangeal disarticulation(1 case). 5. The size of flap was from $3{\times}4cm$ to $5{\times}10cm$(average $4{\times}5.6cm)$. 6. In 7 cases, we were not to find post-operative necrosis and infection, non-viability, limitation of ankle joint, and gait disturbance caused by the Instep flap surgery. 7. This study demonstrates that the Instep flap should be considered as another valuable technique in reconstruction of these regions.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 1994

Pulp and palm of the hand and heel of the sole are anatomically unique. Satisfactory reconstruction of these areas presents the plastic surgeon with many challenges and requires durable and sensible skin coverage, minimal donor morbidity and reliable operative procedure. We presents 7 clinical cases of sensate instep free flap transfer in this paper during the last 2 years. Three cases were soft tissue defects due to crushing and avulsion injury on the pulp of finger. 1 case was unstable scar and redundant flap after reconstruction of soft tissue dect of palm and 1 case was contracture of first web of hand. One case was a soft tissue defect due to avulsion injury on heel. Lastly, one case was chronic osteomyelitis with open wound on lateral malleolar area. Follow-up period ranged from 3 months to 2 years. Through the whole follow-up period, all flaps were viable and durable to persistant stress or weight bearing and were sensible enough to porotect the recocstructed area from injuries and maintain functions. In conclusions, the instep free flap should be considered as a valuable tool in reconstruction of hand and extremity requiring durability and sensation.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.184-191
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• 1999

Reconstruction of soft tissue defect of the foot, ankle and distal tibial area has been and remains a challenging problem for reconstructive surgeons. We treated 19 patients who showed soft tissue defect in these area with distally based superficial sural artery flaps, including four adipofascial flaps, two sensate flaps. The size of the soft tissue defect was from $4{\times}5cm\;to\;8{\times}10cm$. In nine cases, we preserved sural nerve. Seventeen flaps survived completely, but one flap failed and another flap showed partial skin necrosis at the distal half. In failed cases, lesser saphenous vein was ruptured at initial injury. The advantage of this flap is a constant and reliable blood supply without sacrifice of major artery or sensory nerve. Elevation of the flap is technically easy and quick. The pedicle is long and the island flap can be transffered as far as to the instep area. It also has the potential for sensate flap, innervated by the lateral sural cutaneous nerve. But for appropriate venous drainage small saphenous vein must be preserved.

• 대한미세수술학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1993.10a
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• pp.98.2-99
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• 1993

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2010

Purpose: Tumor ablation and traumatic intractable ulceration of the plantar surface of the foot results in skin and soft tissue defects of the weight-bearing sole. Simple skin grafting is not sufficient for reconstruction of the weight-bearing areas. Instead, the island medial plantar flap (instep flap) and distally-based island medial plantar flap was used for proper reconstruction of the weight bearing area. However, there are some disadvantages. In particular, an island medial plantar flap has a short pedicle limiting the mobility of the flap and the distally-based island medial plantar flap is based on a very small vessel. We investigated whether good results could be obtained using a reverse island medial plantar flap based on the lateral plantar vessel as a solution to the above limitations. Methods: Three patients with malignant melanoma were cared for in our tertiary hospital. The tumors involved the lateral forefoot, the postero-lateral heel, and the medial forefoot area. We designed and harvested the flap from the medial plantar area, dissected the lateral and medial plantar artery and vena comitans, and clamped and cut the vessel 1 cm proximal to the branch from the posterior tibial artery and vena comitans. The medial plantar nerve fascicles of these flaps anastomosed to the sural nerve, the 5th interdigital nerve, and the 1st interdigital nerve of each lesion. The donor sites were covered with skin grafting. Results: The mean age of the 3 subjects was 64.7 years (range, 57 - 70 years). Histologically, all cases were lentiginous malignant melanomas. The average size of the lesion was $5.3\;cm^2$. The average size of the flap was $33.1\;cm^2$. The flap color and circulation were intact during the early postoperative period. There was no evidence of flap necrosis, hematomas or infection. All patients had a normal gait after the surgery. Sensory return progressively improved. Conclusion: Use of an island medial plantar flap based on the lateral plantar vessel to the variable weight-bearing sole is a simple but useful procedure for the reconstruction of any difficult lesion of the weight-bearing sole.