Successful replantation of an amputated leg with severe crush and avulsion injury in an elderly patient: Case report

An amputated leg with severe crush and avulsion injury was replanted in a 57-year-old man. Since the skin and soft tissue around the ankle became necrotic 11 days postoperatively, a flow-through forearm free flap was transferred into the defect, preserving the blood circulation to the replanted leg. Seven weeks after the replantation, sural nerve cable grafts were interposed between both amputated edges of the tibial nerve. As the function of the ankle joint did not recover, arthrodesis of the ankle joint was performed 7 months after the replantaion. As a result, the patient could walk 1 year postoperatively.