ANATOMICAL STUDIES AND 5 YEARS CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE WITH THE DISTALLY BASED MEDIAL FASCIOCUTANEOUS FLAP OF THE LOWER LEG

Anatomical dissections, dye studies and clinical experience with the h ighly versatile inferiorly based medial lower leg fasciocutaneous flap , originally described by Amarante et al.,(1) have been described. Cli nical uses include cover of the lower half of the tibia, foot and tend o achilles. Variations of the flap are described. The flap has been us ed in 42 clinical cases with only 2 failures and 2 partial failures. T he dissection of the flap is quick and simple and the perforators reli able. The flap has obviated the need for a free flap in many of the ca ses, thus increasing the turnover in a busy unit. Dye injection studie s and clinical experience have alerted us to the random nature of the flap in the proximal segment as described by Amarante.(1) In high risk patients we modify the design.