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Foot reconstruction in weight bearing area

Long term results and gait analysis

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Summary

Multiple reconstructive procedures have been described for replacing skin loss in weight bearing areas of the foot. The reason for this is that the reconstruction of the plantar surface easily breaks down because of the particular structure of the soft tissues of this area. Furthermore, sensation is usually incomplete. For these reasons, stable, functional reconstruction is uncommon, even when using microvascular sensate skin flaps. In order to assess the best reconstructive management, functional long-term results of 13 patients who suffered from soft tissue defects of the weight-bearing areas of their feet were analyzed using gait analysis. The most reliable results were obtained with the Musgrave Footprint®. It stores the dynamic footprint on a computerized plate allowing to assess qualitatively and quantitatively pressure against time. This non-invasive method simultaneously analyzes pressure data from both feet. Furthermore, it allows the detection of areas about to break down. This may prevent ulcer formation by prophylactic management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Chirurgie Plastique et Reconstructive, Centre des Brûlés, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland

    P. Roggero & S. Krupp

  2. Laboratoire d'Electrocinésigraphie, Service d'Orthopédie, HCUG, Genéve, Switzerland

    Y. Blanc

Authors
  1. P. Roggero
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  2. Y. Blanc
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  3. S. Krupp
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Roggero, P., Blanc, Y. & Krupp, S. Foot reconstruction in weight bearing area. Eur J Plast Surg 16, 186–192 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00175682

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