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Sensory ALT Flap for Extensive Plantar Resurfacing in Non-Traumatic Patients. Functional Outcomes
João Carlos Nakamoto, MD1; Luciano Ruiz Torres, MD2; Luiz Sorrenti, MD3; Fernanda do Carmo Iwase, MD4; Silmara Nicolau Pedro da Silva, MSc, OTr5; AV Zumiotti, MD5; Teng Hsiang Wei, MD, PhD6; Rames Mattar, MD7 1Hand Surgery, Instituto Vita, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Orthopedic Surgery, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3Orhtopaedic Surgery Department, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo Andre, Brazil; 4Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia/Hand Surgery and Microsurgery, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 5University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 6Departmento fo Orthopedic - Hand and Microsurgery Division, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 7Hand and Microsurgery Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Plantar resurfacing is still a challenge. This is a specialized kind of skin, resistant but sensate, with a specialized tissue for absorting trauma, fat packed in bags of fibrotic tissue, absence of melanocytes, glabrous skin, with a big layer of keratocytes but still sensitive. The ideal flap is obviously the medial plantar flap (instep of foot). However, one flap is suitable only for target areas under the heel or the metatarsal heads (reverse flow pedicle, Y-V-I principle based on reverse lateral plantar artery, or its free flap). It’s small for a complete coverage of the plantar surface. And when tumoral disease affects one plantar surface, double flaps are unsuitable. Classically in our Institution, we employ muscular free flaps as latissimus dorsi, anterior serratus and reto abdominus muscles associated with partial skin graft. The results were considered satisfactory, otherwise transtibial amputation would be the alternative. As time goes by, however, we’ve observed the raise of ulcer’s rate on the flap. And we’ve noticed clear degeneration of results with long term follow‐up (above 5 years). Muscular atrophy, adipose degeneration of muscle fibers, bone spoors, plantar corns are more often with the years from the reconstructive surgery. In some instances, it seems that at 5 years after surgery only a thin lamina of skin graft could be observed under the foot. The advent of perforator flaps brings the sensitive ALT flap.In this two case series we have achieved reliable protective sensibility. This was accessed by Semmes Weinstein monofilament static and Weber two point discrimination texts. The protective skin sensibility seems to be the key to avoid ulceration. Functional outcomes are also promising. And we’ve observed in these 2/3 years of follow-up an adaptation or metaplasy of skin without degeneration of its thickness. No bone spoors were seen after2/3 years in foot lateral X-ray of the patients. The sensitive ALT flap was a reliable surgical treatment in two patients presented. Bigger series and long term follow-ups of patients anyway are necessary to completely retire the muscular flaps in plantar resurface.
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