The distally based superficial sural flap for reconstruction of the foot and ankle in pediatric patients.

The distally based superficial sural flap has been used for coverage of defects in the foot and ankle for years. However, little attention has been received in the pediatric trauma population because of small sample volumes. The current study presents results using distally based superficial sural flaps for reconstruction of soft tissue defects of the foot and ankle in children. A retrospective study was performed to assess outcomes of 32 pediatric patients with defects of the foot and ankle requiring soft tissue coverage using distally based superficial sural flaps. The average patient age was 9 years. The etiology of the soft tissue defects included 31 traumatic events and 1 chronic ulcer with bone, tendon, or joint lesion exposure. Postoperative follow-up of the 32 patients ranged from 11 months to 7 years. All 32 flaps survived successfully. Complications included one wound dehiscence and three slight venous congestions. The distally based superficial sural flap is a good alternative for soft tissue defects of the foot and ankle in children. The surgical techniques in harvesting the flaps are easy to handle.