The Distally Based Superficial Sural Artery Flap

Kim, Yong Jin; Kim, Young Ho; Chang, Jae Won; Oh, Moon Hyung; Kim, Hyung Kun; Kim, Hyung Joo

Abstract

The superficial sural artery flap is supplied by the superficial sural artery that accompanies the sural nerve. The superficial sural artery connects distally with a peroneal artery septocutaneous perforator via a suprafascial network of vessels that permits the flap to be raised on its distal pedicle. We treated 10 patients who showed soft tissue defect of the lower third of the leg, around the ankle and the hindfoot with this flap. The causes of the soft tissue defect were trauma in 6 cases, pressure sore in 2 cases, squamous cell carcinoma in 1 case and osteomyelitis in 1 case. The sites of the soft tissue defect were the lower third of the leg in 5 cases, around the ankle in 2 cases and the hindfoot in 3 cases. The size of the soft tissue defect was from 5x6 cm to 8xl2 cm. All 10 flaps survived. Two flaps showed slight venous congestion which cleared in a few days. The time for flap dissection was 15 minutes in average. The results of our cases show that the distally based superficial sural artery flap is useful for the soft tissue coverage of the lower third of the leg, around the ankle and the hindfoot. The advantages of the flap are that the blood supply is reliable, elevation is easy and quick, the major arteries are not sacrificed and the donor site morbidity is negligible.