Lateral Calcaneal Artery Adipofascial Flap for Reconstruction of the Posterior Heel of the Foot

BACKGROUND Soft tissue defects of the posterior heel of the foot present difficult reconstructive problems. This paper reports the authors' early experience of five patients treated with a lateral calcaneal artery adipofascial flap. METHODS Between 2003 and 2007, five patients (3 males and 2 females) with soft-tissue defects over the posterior heel underwent a reconstruction using a lateral calcaneal artery adipofascial flap and a full-thickness skin graft. The flap sizes ranged from 3.5 x 2.5 cm to 5.5 x 4.0 cm. RESULTS All five flaps survived completely with no subsequent breakdown of the grafted skin, even after regularly wearing normal shoes. The adipofascial flap donor sites were closed primarily in all patients. CONCLUSIONS Lateral calcaneal artery adipofascial flaps should be included in the surgical armamentarium to cover difficult wounds of the posterior heel of the foot. These flaps do not require the sacrifice of a major artery to the leg or foot, they are relatively thin with minimal morbidity at the donor site, and leave a simple linear scar over the lateral aspect of the foot.