THE MEDIAL PLANTAR FLAP BASED ON THE LATERAL PLANTAR ARTERY AND VEIN - A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR COVERING ANY AREA OF THE FOOT - PRELIMINARY-REPORT

The authors present a new type of the classical medial plantar flap which derives its main blood supply from the medial plantar artery, a terminal branch of the posterior tibial artery. Our approach concerning flap dissection has not been modified, but the vascular supply of the flap has been shifted and a reverse blood flow coming from the lateral plantar artery is created after dividing the posterior tibial artery just proximal to its distal bifurcation. The reverse flow medial plantar artery island flap survival is ensured by rich anastomoses that usually occur between the dorsalis pedis and lateral plantar arteries. However, the venous return is also ensured by a reverse flow as in the case of lateral plantar artery. In addition, this flap presents a wide arc of rotation that is suitable for a variety of local defects, allowing cover of the foot. This new technique mainly provides a perfect indication for cover of distal weight bearing area defects of the foot when the distally based plantar flap is not possible for anatomical aberrations and/or in the presence of an unreliable blood supply of the flap itself. Moreover, it deserves a general description of a new type of flap pedicle design that we denote by the term << reverse flow Y-V extended flap pedicle >>. We intend to provide the readers with more details concerning clinical applications of this new surgical procedure.