BackgroundFractures of the distal third of the leg are increasingly common and are often handled by open reduction and internal fixation. Exposure and infection of internal hardware could occur, especially after high energy traumas, requiring hardware removal and delayed soft tissue reconstruction. Nevertheless immediate soft tissue reconstruction without internal hardware removal is still possible in selected patients.In this study the effectiveness and the complications of immediate soft tissue reconstruction without internal hardware removal is analyzed.Methods13 patients, affected by internal hardware exposure in the distal leg, treated with immediate soft tissue reconstruction with pedicled flaps and hardware retention, are retrospectively analyzed, with special regard to flap survival and wound infection.ResultsWound infection was observed in 10 cases before surgery and in 5 cases surgical debridement was necessary before reconstruction which was performed in a separate operative session.After reconstruction, wound dehiscence and infection occurred in 5 cases, and in 3 cases removal of internal hardware was necessary in order to achieve the complete healing of dehiscence. In one case the previous flap failed but prompt reconstruction with a sural fasciocutaneous flap was performed without hardware removal and without complications. Pre-operative infection and late reconstructive surgery are predictive for higher rates of post-operative complications (respectively p 0.018 and p 0.028).ConclusionOur approach achieved full recovery in 53.8% of the treated cases after one-step surgery, therefore reducing hospitalization and allowing early mobilization. Controlled trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this strategy, although the present case series shows encouraging results.

This is an observational case series of 15 patients with full-thickness traumatic wound defects treated with a dermal substitute. There were 8 male and 7 female patients with a mean age of 36.6 years. Eight patients had trauma to the lower limbs and 7 were of the upper limbs, with the average lesion size 104.4 cm2 (range 6–490 cm2). The time to complete healing had a mean average time of 26.8 days (range 16–60 days). All patients went on to successful repair with 6 patients requiring a second application of the substitute and 5 patients needing split thickness skin grafts. Infection was recorded in one patient.

Plantar reconstruction is often challenging for plastic surgeons because of the peculiar anatomical features of this region. A large variety of reconstructive techniques for the plantar aspect of the foot have been described previously, including skin grafts, local flaps, fasciocutaneous flaps, perforator flaps, cross-limb flaps, and free flaps. This article presents a case of a 64-year-old patient with insulin-dependent diabetes who was involved in a traffic accident that resulted in a large plantar tissue defect (9x4 cm) extending to the base of the toes. After debridement of the wound, a subcutaneous flap was raised from the medial aspect of the lower leg in a sovrafascial plane. The flap was based on a double vascularization given by the great saphenous vein and by the perforator vessels from the posterior tibial artery, located anteriorly and inferiorly to the medial malleolus. The flap showed excellent vitality and long-term result with reduced donor site morbidity. We believe this flap represents a reliable surgical option in superficial plantar defects due to easy harvesting, short operative time, and minimal donor site morbidity. The subcutaneous flap of the distal medial fourth of the leg is a safe technique because of the vascular components of the pedicle. It provides durable coverage, mechanical resistance to pressure and shear stresses and, in selected cases (superficial defects, thin patients), is an interesting option to avoid major free flap procedures.

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