Caso Clínico: Cirugía Reconstructiva de Tobillo / Case Report: Reconstructive Ankle Surgery

INTRODUCCIÓN: La diabetes mellitus es un importante problema de salud pública, según la Organización Mundial de la Salud, 422 millones de adultos en todo el mundo en 2014. En 2012 provocó 1.5 millones de muertes a nivel mundial; es la primera causa de amputación no traumática en miembros inferiores y las infecciones del pie ocurren con alta frecuencia en pacientes mal controlados. Este caso muestra la reconstrucción de defectos de partes blandas en el tercio inferior pierna, talón, maléolos y pie a través de la descripción del colgajo sural reverso. En este estudio se discuten las ventajas y desventajas de la utilización de esta técnica. CASO CLÍNICO: Paciente de sexo femenino 56 años de edad con antecedentes de Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 mal controlada, que sufrió una fractura de tobillo izquierdo tratada con osteosíntesis; durante el postoperatorio acudió a emergencia, por presentar dolor de gran intensidad en tobillo izquierdo, fiebre, dehiscencia de herida quirúrgica, acompañada de secreción serosa. EVOLUCIÓN: La paciente luego de varias limpiezas quirúrgicas y cambios de terapia de cierre asistido por presión negativa, se consigue controlar la infección, con persistencia del defecto de cobertura ósea y del material de osteosíntesis. Se presentaron complicaciones adicionales como la rigidez articular, atrofia muscular; se decidió realizar reconstrucción del tercio distal del pie usando colgajo fasciocutáneo sural de flujo reverso, que evolucionó satisfactoriamente, consiguiendo cubrir el defecto con tejido biológico. CONCLUSIÓN: El colgajo sural de flujo reverso, es una técnica reproducible, que permite cubrir defectos de cobertura en tercio distal de pierna y tobillo; acortar los tiempos de hospitalización, especialmente cuando hay exposición ósea o de material de osteosíntesis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem, according to the World Health Organization, 422 million adults worldwide in 2014. In 2012, it caused 1.5 million deaths worldwide. Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation in lower limbs and foot infections occur with high frequency in poorly controlled patients. This case shows the reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the lower third leg, heel, malleoli and foot through the description of the reverse sural flap. In this study the advantages and disadvantages of the use of this technique are discussed. CASE REPORT: A 56-year-old female patient with a poorly controlled history of Diabetes Mellitus type 2, who suffered a fracture of the left ankle treated with osteosynthesis, and who during the postoperative period attended emergency orthopedics and traumatology, due to severe pain in the left ankle, fever, dehiscence of surgical wound, accompanied by serous secretion. EVOLUTION: The patient, after several surgical cleanings and changes in closure therapy assisted by negative pressure, manages to control the infection, with persistence of the bone coverage defect and the osteosynthesis material. There were additional complications such as joint stiffness, muscle atrophy; it was decided to reconstruct the distal third of the foot using a reverse flow sural fasciocutaneous flap, which evolved satisfactorily, managing to cover the defect with biological tissue. CONCLUSIONS: The sural flap of reverse flow is a reproducible technique that allows to cover coverage defects in the distal third of the leg and ankle; shorten hospitalization times, especially when there is bone exposure or osteosynthesis material.

The use of sural island musculo fasciocutaneous flap, in the management of chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia.

BACKGROUND: : The management of soft-tissue defects following surgery for chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia is challenging. It often requires complex reconstructive procedures, especially when the distal third of the tibia is involved. We present a relatively simple method of addressing these defects. AIM: : This study aims to report our experience with the use of the sural Island musculo fasciocutaneous flap in the management of osteomyelitis of the tibia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: : Consecutive patients with osteomyelitis of the tibia requiring soft-tissue cover were managed using the sural Island musculo fasciocutaneous flap, and the outcome was analyzed. The study was prospective in nature. RESULTS: : There were 21 patients, 15 males and 6 females. Their ages ranged from 21 years to 62 years. Most (71%) were in the 3rd and 4th decades of life. Twelve patients had involvement of the distal third of the tibia, eight involved the middle third, while five patients had involvement of the proximal third. Most of the patients (17) developed osteomyelitis following open fractures of the tibia; thirteen of these were from road crashes and four from gunshot injuries. Four patients developed osteomyelitis through the hematogenous route. Flap sizes ranged from 8 × 7 cm to 16 × 11 cm. There was tip necrosis in 2 flaps and full survival in 19 flaps. The flaps with partial necrosis were managed by simple dressing. Fifteen patients (71%) had cessation of drainage within 4 weeks of surgery. Two patients presented with recurrence of infection within the period of follow-up. Mean follow-up period was 23 months. All donor sites were skin grafted primarily, with 95%-100% graft take. CONCLUSION: The sural Island musculo fasciocutaneous flap is a reliable source of richly vascularized soft tissue for the management of dead space and soft-tissue defects in chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia. It has the added advantage of providing sizeable tissue, with good reach to all segments of the tibia.

Reconstruction of complex soft-tissue defects around the knee using the proximally based sural Island fasciocutaneous flap.

BACKGROUND: : Complex soft tissue defects around the knee are not common. They pose significant reconstructive challenges; hence, several methods have been tried. In this study, the use of proximally based sural island fasciocutaneous flap is evaluated. AIM: : The aim of this study is to report our experience with the use of proximally based sural island fasciocutaneous flap in the reconstruction of complex soft tissue defects around the knee. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study. All patients that presented to the unit with complex soft tissue defects around the knee between December 2012 and November 2014 were included in this study. Data on age, sex, etiology, anatomical location of the defect, and flap size were noted and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Follow-up was for a minimum of 6 months. RESULTS: : There were 15 cases: 11 males and 4 females. Their ages ranged from 6 years to 47 years with an average age of 29 years. Ten of the defects resulted from road traffic accidents, while five were missile injuries. The anterior and lateral surfaces of the knee were more often involved, while the posterior surface was least involved. The flap sizes ranged from 8 cm × 6 cm to 16 cm × 12 cm, and the pedicle length ranged from 6 cm to 12 cm. All 15 flaps had full survival. A total of 13 patients had their donor sites skin grafted primarily with 96%-100% graft take. The other two patients had their donor sites closed directly. CONCLUSION: The proximally based sural island fasciocutaneous flap is a simple and reliable method of reconstruction for soft tissue defects around the knee.

Extended Islanded Reverse Sural Artery flap for Staged Reconstruction of Foot Defects Proximal to Toes.

Obective:To assess the outcome of extended delayed reverse sural artery flap for reconstruction of foot defects proximal to toes in terms of flap survival, complication and extended area. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Jinnah Burn and Reconstructive Surgery Centre, Lahore, from February 2015 to April 2017. METHODOLOGY: Cases who underwent delayed sural artery flap were inducted. Preoperative hand-held doppler was done to confirm the location of perforator. Two suitable perforators were chosen to raise the extended flap by crossing the proximal limit in all cases. The pedicle was kept minimum 3 cm wide and perfusion was assessed. Flap was delayed for one week and vaccum-assisted closure (VAC) dressing was applied over wound. The second surgery was performed after one week. Proximal perforator was clamped and ligated after checking adequate perfusion of flap. Flap was insetted into defect. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were reconstructed with delayed reverse sural artery flap. The mean age of the patients was 26.5 12.2 years. Twenty-four (75%) patients were males and 8 (25%) were females. Twenty-two (68.7%) cases were degloving wounds after road traffic accidents (RTA), 6 (18.7%) were diabetic foot wounds, 4 (12.5%) sustained injury after falling from height and 7 (21.8%) patients had fracture of metatarsals. Twenty-eight flaps were transferred after one week delay, and only in 4 cases, flap were transferred after two weeks. All flaps survived completely. Complications of infection noted in 3 (9.3%) flaps, 3 (9.3%) flaps showed tip necrosis, 2 (6.2%) flaps undergone epidermolysis and only 2 (6.2%) showed venous congestion. CONCLUSION: Delayed islanded reverse sural artery perforator flap is a reliable and versatile option for resurfacing soft tissue defects of lower limb proximal to the toes with lesser complications and extended coverage area.

[FREE MEDIAL SURAL ARTERY PERFORATOR FLAP FOR REPAIRING ANTERIOR DORSAL FOOT WOUND].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of the free medial sural artery perforator flap for repairing anterior dorsal foot wound. METHODS: Between January 2010 and April 2015, 16 patients with skin and soft tissue defects of the anterior foot dorsal side were treated. There were 12 males and 4 females with the average age of 35 years (mean, 16-58 years). The disease causes included burn in 5 cases, traffic accident injury in 8 cases, and crush injury in 3 cases. The time from injury to admission was 2-30 hours (mean, 6.5 hours). The wound area ranged from 4 cm x 3 cm to 10 cm x 7 cm; combined injury included defects of lateral collateral ligament and joint capsule in 3 cases, and bone exposure in 12 cases, and all had exposure of tendon. Wounds were repaired with the medial sural artery perforator flap in 13 cases, and with medial sural artery perforator composite tissue flap carrying of medial head of gastrocnemius muscle flap in 3 cases. The size of flaps ranged from 5 cm x 4 cm to 11 cm x 8 cm. The donor site was sutured directly or was repaired with skin grafting. RESULTS: All flaps survived well and wounds healed with stage I; skin grafts at donor site survived and the incision healed with stage I. All patients were followed up 6-36 months (mean, 11 months). The appearance of skin flap was satisfactory, without overstaffed; the joint of reconstructed ligament was stable, without secondary deformity. There was no obvious depression at the donor site, and no effect on the function. CONCLUSION: The medial sural artery perforator flap has the advantages of relatively constant perforator anatomy, reliable blood supply, and carries the gastrocnemius muscle flap for repair of compound tissue defect. It is one of better ways to repair the anterior dorsal foot wound.

Distal Based Sural Fascio-Cutaneous Flap: A Practical Limb Saviour for Wounds of War and Peace.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of mechanism of injury on wound healing, and on the viability and success of distally based sural flap when used for the coverage of defects of lower leg, ankle and foot. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Surgery, Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar and Khariyan, from January 2012 to December 2014. METHODOLOGY: Patients with soft tissue defects over the distal leg, ankle and foot were selected by purposive sampling technique and divided into 2 groups of 19 patients each. Group A(road traffic accidents) and group B (war injuries). Sural fascio-cutaneous flap was the reconstructive tool used in all the cases using single technique by the same surgical team; and time for recipient site preparation, size of the defect, graft survival, its healing time and complications, were studied. RESULTS: The mean age of the 38 patients in the study was 28.2 ±13.4 years. There were 36 male and 2 female patients. The most common site of injury encountered was leg (n=20) followed by foot (n=11) and ankle (n=5). Maximum wound size seen in group A was 10 x 12 cm and in group B was 15 x 38 cm. Recovery was uneventful in 17/19 cases of group Awhile 7/19 in group B and with no graft failure. Superficial epidermolysis was seen in 2 and 8 cases in group A and B respectively while edge necrosis of the flap was observed in group B only (n=4). Healing time on average was 2 to 3 weeks in group A, and 4 to 5 weeks in group B. CONCLUSION: Soft tissue defects of the distal lower extremity as a result of war injuries and road traffic accidents have different dynamics in terms of wound size, time of wound healing, wound complications and functional outcome; but distal based sural flap has promising results in both situations.

The vascularized sural nerve graft based on a peroneal artery perforator for reconstruction of the inferior alveolar nerve defect.

The sural nerve has been described for nerve reconstruction of the maxillofacial region since it provides many advantages. We report a case of a vascularized sural nerve graft based on a peroneal artery perforator for immediate reconstruction after the removal of intraosseous neuroma originating in the inferior alveolar nerve. The patient had a neuroma caused by iatrogenic injury to the inferior alveolar nerve. A 4-cm long neuroma existed in the inferior alveolar nerve and was resected. A peroneal perforator was chosen as the pedicle of the vascularized sural nerve graft for the nerve gap. The graft including the skin paddle for monitoring the perfusion supplied by this perforator was transferred to the lesion. The nerve gap between the two stumps of the inferior alveolar nerve was repaired using the 6-cm long vascularized sural nerve. The perforator of the peroneal artery was anastomosed to the branch of the facial artery in a perforator-to-perforator fashion. There was no need to sacrifice any main arteries. The skin paddle with 1 cm × 3 cm in size was inset into the incised medial neck. Perceptual function tests with a Semmes-Weinstein pressure esthesiometer and two-point discrimination in the lower lip and chin at 10 months after surgery showed recovery almost to the level of the normal side. This free vascularized sural nerve graft based on a peroneal artery perforator may be a good alternative for reconstruction of inferior alveolar nerve defects.

[APPLICATION OF FREE BILOBED MEDIAL SURAL ARTERY PERFORATOR FLAP FOR REPAIRING PENETRATING WOUND OF FOOT].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of the free bilobed medial sural artery perforator (BMSAP) flap to repair penetrating wound of the foot. METHODS: Between April 2012 and October 2014, 7 cases of foot penetrating wounds were treated with the BMSAP flap. There were 5 males and 2 females, aged from 21 to 43 years (mean, 31.5 years). The causes of injury included the crush injury (4 cases), blunt puncture (2 cases), and firearm injury (1 case). The wound was located at the left foot in 4 cases and at the right foot in 3 cases. There were longitudinal penetrating injury in 5 cases and transverse penetrating injury in 2 cases. The size of wound ranged from 4 cm x 3 cm to 9 cm x 7 cm. The interval between injury and admission was 0.5-5.5 hours (mean, 3.2 hours). The free BMSAP flap of 5 cm x 4 cm-10 cm x 8 cm in size was used to repair the wounds on both sides and to reconstruct the sensation. The donor site was sutured or repaired with skin graft. RESULTS: After operation, 1 case had distal flap necrosis, the flap survived after dressing change; 1 case had wound infection, and delayed healing was obtained after drainage; and the flap survived completely, and primary healing was obtained in the other 5 cases. The skin grafts survived and healing of incision by first intention was observed at donor sites. The patients were followed up from 7 to 24 months (mean, 12.5 months). The flap had soft texture and similar color to normal skin. According to the British Medical Research Council (BMRC) sensory function assessment system, 1 case was rated as S2, 4 cases as , and 2 cases as S3+. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score was 86-97 (mean, 93.6); the results were excellent in 6 cases and good in 1 case. CONCLUSION: The free BMSAP flap is very suitable to repair penetrating wound of the foot. The flap has the advantages of repairing the two wounds at the same time and reconstructing skin sensation as well.

Complex heel reconstruction with a sural fasciomyocutaneous perforator flap.

Reconstruction of weight-bearing surfaces at the foot and ankle is controversial. Free tissue transfer and local fasciocutaneous perforator flaps are preferred for plantar reconstruction, but high rates of flap breakdown and ulceration have caused unsatisfactory functional outcomes. We present a modified "sural fasciomyocutaneous perforator flap" and its functional outcome. Between January 2007 and September 2010, 19 patients were treated for soft-tissue defects in the weight-bearing area with sural fasciomyocutaneous perforator flaps. The gastrocnemius, preserved in the base of the flap, was applied as padding under the calcaneus. In follow-up from 9 to 25 months (mean 13.8 months), each patient's pain score, defect size, ulcer formation, protective sensation recovery, and normal footwear were analyzed. The majority of the flaps survived with satisfactory aesthetic and functional results. One case of partial flap loss and one case of delayed ulceration were noted. With partial weight bearing at 4 weeks, satisfactory gait recovery was obtained at 5 to 8 months (in conjunction with protective sensation recovery). Sural fasciomyocutaneous perforator flap is a reliable modality in heel construction, showing advantages of low ulceration rate, durability, and good protective sensation recovery compared with conventional free tissue transfer and local fasciocutaneous perforator flap.

[Clinical application of sural fasciomyocutaneous perforator flap in repair of soft tissue defect in weight-bearing area of foot].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of the sural fasciomyocutaneous perforator flap in repair of soft tissue defect in weight-bearing area of the foot. METHODS: Between January 2007 and September 2010, 19 patients with soft tissue defects in the weight-bearing area of the foot were treated with sural fasciomyocutaneous perforator flaps. The etiology was traffic accident in 16 patients and crush injury in 3 patients. The interval of injury and admission was 2 hours to 14 days. The size of defect ranged from 8 cm x 6 cm to 26 cm x 16 cm; the size of flap ranged from 7 cm x 7 cm to 25 cm x 12 cm. The donor sites were repaired by free skin graft. The flap survival was observed after operation, and the pain score and sensory recovery at the recipient site were used to assess the effectiveness. RESULTS: The flaps survived with satisfactory aesthetic and functional results in 18 cases. Partial flap necrosis was noted and second healing was achieved after split thickness skingrafting in 1 case. One case of delayed ulceration was also noted after 5 weeks, ulceration was successfully cured after wound care and avoidance of weight-bearing for 2 weeks. All patients were followed up 9-25 months (mean, 14.1 months). The flaps had good appearance, without bulky pedicle. Superficial sensation and deep sensation were restored in 17 cases (89.4%) and 18 cases (94.7%) respectively at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Sural fasciomyocutaneous perforator flap is a reliable modality in heel reconstruction, having the advantages of low ulceration rate, good wear resistance, and good sensation recovery.

True and 'choke' anastomoses between perforator angiosomes: part i. anatomical location.

BACKGROUND: Reports of more than two cutaneous perforator angiosome territories being raised successfully in distally based sural flaps are appearing in the literature. Previous anatomical studies have noted that cutaneous arteries, connected by true anastomosis without change in caliber, frequently parallel cutaneous nerves. METHODS: Twenty-four (48 sides) total body lead oxide cadaver injection studies, including seven arterial and two venous neurovascular, were examined, and the results were compared with clinical thermography in Part II. RESULTS: Long branches of cutaneous perforators, connected in a series by true anastomoses, paralleled at variable distances the main trunks of cutaneous nerves in the head, neck, torso, and upper and lower extremities. Specifically, in the leg, an average of 3.2 true anastomoses (range, 1 to 5) connected perforators that paralleled the sural nerve on the back of the calf; and 2.5 (range, 1 to 4) connected perforators on the medial side of the leg. These vascular freeways were paralleled by the short and long saphenous veins, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: True anastomoses frequently connect skin perforators that course in parallel with cutaneous nerves and veins. They provide an explanation for the long viable flaps noted in the leg, and it will be shown in Part II that they can be detected preoperatively with thermography.

Applications of medial sural perforator free flap for head and neck reconstructions.

Oropharyngeal defects left after tumor resection are usually reconstructed with radial forearm or anterolateral thigh (ALT) perforator free flaps, but these flaps can be too thin or too thick. In this study, medial sural perforator free flaps with intermediate volumes were used for oropharyngeal reconstruction. Of the 243 patients with oropharyngeal cancer who underwent head and neck reconstruction between October 2006 and October 2011, the medial sural perforator free flap was used 20 times. The number and locations of the main sizable perforators, the dimensions and thickness of the flap, and the length of the pedicle were recorded. Satisfactory results were achieved in 18 patients. The flaps in the two remaining cases failed. The vertical locations of the main sizable medial sural perforators were 6 to 15 cm away from the popliteal crease. The medial sural perforator free flaps ranged from 4 to 10 mm in thickness. Medial sural perforator free flaps may be an alternative for medium-sized defects that cannot be properly reconstructed with radial forearm or ALT perforator free flaps because of their inappropriate flap volume.

Comparative study of two types of distally based sural neurocutaneous flap for reconstruction of lower leg, ankle, and heel.

BACKGROUND: Soft-tissue defects in the lower leg, ankle, and heel often require reconstruction with local or free flaps. We try to compare the clinical outcome and complications following transfer of a perforator pedicle-based sural neurocutaneous flap (P-NCF) or a fascia pedicle-based sural neurocutaneous flap (F-NCF). METHODS: Between March 2007 and December 2010, 92 patients (mean, 36.52 years) with a distal leg soft-tissue defect were included. Forty-eight patients treated with P-NCF were compared with 44 patients treated by F-NCF. The etiology, size, and operation time were noted. The clinical outcomes and the complications have been analyzed. RESULTS: Age, sex, and defect etiology, duration of surgery and, area of flaps did not reveal significant differences in term of clinical outcome. Minor flap necrosis (<10%) was observed in 20.5% of the F-NCF group and 6.25% of the P-NCF group. Patient satisfaction, aesthetic appearance, and functional outcome were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSION: A high rate of complications was observed in the F-NCF group. Based on our finding, a perforator-based flap is more reliable than a fascia-based flap and the two types of flaps are both valuable choices for reconstructive surgery.

Anatomic study of the superficial sural artery and its implication in the neurocutaneous vascularized sural nerve free flap.

Combined extended nerve and soft tissue defects of the upper extremity require nerve reconstruction and adequate soft tissue coverage. This study focuses on the reliability of the free vascularized sural nerve graft combined with a fasciocutaneous posterior calf flap within this indication. An anatomical study was performed on 26 cadaveric lower extremities that had been Thiel fixated and color silicone injected. Dissection of the fasciocutaneous posterior calf flap involved the medial sural nerve and superficial sural artery (SSA) with its septocutaneous perforators, extended laterally to include the lateral cutaneous branch of the sural nerve and continued to the popliteal origin of the vascular pedicle and the nerves. The vessel and nerves diameter were measured with an eyepiece reticle at 4.5× magnification. Length and diameter of the nerves and vessels were carefully assessed and reported in the dissection book. A total of 26 flaps were dissected. The SSA originated from the medial sural artery (13 cases), the popliteal artery (12 cases), or the lateral sural artery (one case). The average size of the SSA was 1.4 ± 0.4 mm. The mean pedicle length before the artery joined the sural nerve was 4.5 ± 1.9 cm. A comitant vein was present in 21 cases with an average diameter of 2.0 ± 0.8 mm, in 5 cases a separate vein needed to be dissected with an average diameter of 3.5 ± 0.4 mm. The mean medial vascularized sural nerve length was 21.2 ± 8.9 cm. Because of inclusion of the vascularized part of the lateral branch of the sural nerve (mean length of 16.7 ± 4.8 cm), a total of 35.0 ± 9.6 cm mean length of vascularized nerve could be gained from each extremity. The free vascularized sural nerve graft combined with a fasciocutaneous posterior calf flap pedicled on the SSA offers a reliable solution for complex tissue and nerve defect.

[Modified sural neurocutaneous vascular flap based on single dominant perforator arising from peroneal artery for coverage of defects over Achilles tendon].

OBJECTIVE: To report the operative techniques and clinical results of specially designed sural neurocutaneous vascular flap pedicled on a dominant perforator (the diameter > or = 0.8 mm) of the peroneal artery for coverage of soft tissue defects overlying the Achilles tendon. METHODS: An approximately rectangular sural neurocutaneous vascular flap pedicled on the lowest dominant perforator arising from the peroneal artery was designed and harvested to repair defects over the Achilles tendon. The pedicle was located at a certain part of the flap, which divided the flap into the distal and the proximal parts. After the tendon was repaired, the flap was rotated 180 degrees based on the perforator and the position of the distal and proximal parts of the flap was changed to cover the defects and part of the donor site respectively. In most cases, skin graft was not needed. RESULTS: The modified flaps were applied in 15 cases. All flaps (ranged from 13 cm x 15 cm - 18 cm x 9 cm ) were transplanted successfully without necrosis, and no vascular problems occurred. Following up for 10-17 months showed both satisfactory functional and cosmetic results. CONCLUSIONS: The modified flap has reliable blood supply and the special design provides nearly normal outline of the ankle which favorites shoe wearing. It' s an excellent option for covering defects overlying the Achilles tendon.

Descripción anatómica de la irrigación del colgajo sural a pedículo distal en piezas cadavéricas / Anatomical description of the blood supply of the distally based sural flap in eight lower limbs

Background: The distally based sural fasciomyocutaneous flap is widely used in the coverage of deep soft tissue defects on the distal third of lower limbs. Aim: To perform a morphometric description of the perforating arteries that supplies the flap. Material and Methods: We used eight lower limbs from amputations performed above the knee. The limbs were injected through the popliteal artery with red colored latex. After the injection, the limbs were dissected to obtain a distally based sural fasciomyocutaneous flap. Once the fasciomyocutaneous island was obtained, the flap was elevated dissecting its pedicle. Once the whole flap was dissected, a morphometric registry of the lateral and medial perforating arteries was performed. The pivot point for the flap was set 5 cm above the upper border of the lateral malleolus. The distance between the upper border of the lateral malleolus and the emergence of each perforating artery was measured. Results: The sural nerve was identified in all eight dissections. A perineural plexus was the source of the blood supply of the flap, in three of the eight dissections. In two dissections, three sural arteries were identified (medial, median and lateral). The lateral sural artery was identified in two dissections and the medial and lateral arteries in one. Three to six perforating arteries were identified in the medial part of the pedicle and four to five perforating arteries in the lateral part of the pedicle. Conclusions: The distribution of the sural artery along the flap's pedicle is very variable. The most common distribution in these dissections was in the form of a perineural plexus. Considering the distance from the lateral malleolus to the emergence of the perforating arteries, the pivot point of the flap, should be set approximately at 5.5 centimeters above the lateral malleolus.

El colgajo sural fasciomiocutáneo es ampliamente utilizado en la reparación de defectos profundos de tejidos blandos del miembro inferior distal. Este estudio describe su base anatómica mediante la morfometría de las arterias perforantes en una muestra de nuestra población chilena. Material y Método: Se utilizaron 8 miembros inferiores de amputaciones supracondileas. Previa repleción con látex coloreado vía poplítea, se procedió a disecar los miembros inferiores para así obtener un colgajo fasciomiocutáneo sural de pedículo distal. Una vez obtenida la isla, se procedió a elevar el colgajo y disecar su pedículo. Luego se realizó la mor-fometría de las arterias perforantes tanto por lateral como por medial al pedículo, desde el punto pívot definido a 5 cm cefálico al maléolo lateral, hasta la base de la isla fasciomiocutánea. Se describió la distribución de la irrigación y se realizó registro fotográfico de los hallazgos. Resultados: El paquete vasculonervioso sural con un nervio fue identificado en todas las disecciones. La morfología arterial predominante fue la distribución como plexo perineural. Se reconocen tres arterias surales (lateral, mediana y medial). Fueron identificadas 3 a 6 perforantes hacia medial y 4 a 5 hacia lateral del pedículo. Conclusiones: La distribución de la arteria sural es variable y en la mayoría de los casos se presenta como plexo perineural. Dados los hallazgos de las perforantes, consideramos que el punto de giro del colgajo se encuentra aproximadamente a 5,5 cm del maleolo lateral, lo cual coincide con el punto ideal para la viabilidad del colgajo informado en otras series.