Reconstruction of the burned lower extremity.

Many of the long-term sequelae and deformities are preventable by early wound closure and aggressive physical managements. Concurrent and associated injuries and medical problems may place a patient with lower extremity burn injury into different clinical subsets. The standard care may have to be modified to accommodate these differences. The scars, the deformities, and the morbidity have decreased dramatically with early aggressive care and physical management. When contractures and deformities are recognized early in the rehabilitation phase, many of these can be satisfactorily corrected by physical means. If the contractures cause functional limitations, surgical release is indicated. The donor defects of free grafts or flaps should not be more deforming than the original injury. The goal is to return the patient to society as normal in function and appearance as possible.