Clinical applications of free soleus and peroneal perforator flaps

Clinical applications of two free lateral leg perforator flaps are described: a free soleus perforator flap that is based on the musculocutaneous perforator vessels from one of the three main arteries in the proximal lateral lower leg, and a free peroneal perforator flap that is based on the septocutaneous or direct skin perforator vessels from the peroneal artery in the distal and middle thirds of the lateral lower leg. The authors applied free soleus perforator flaps to 18 patients and free peroneal perforator flaps to five patients with soft-tissue defects. The recipient site was the great toe in 14 patients, the hand and fingers in five patients, the leg in two patients, and the upper arm and the jaw in one patient each. The largest soleus perforator flap was 15 x 9 cm, and the largest peroneal perforator flap was 9 x 4 cm. Vascular pedicle lengths ranged from 6.5 to 10 cm in soleus perforator flaps and from 4 to 6 cm in peroneal perforator flaps. All flaps, except for the flap in one patient in the peroneal perforator flap series, survived completely. Advantages of these flaps are that there is no need to sacrifice any main artery in the lower leg, and there is minimal morbidity at the donor site. For patients with a small to medium soft-tissue defect, these free perforator flaps are useful.