Long-term sensation in the medial plantar flap: a two-centre study

Reconstruction in the foot and ankle region is challenging. This study aimed to quantify objective sensation return when a sensate medial plantar flap is used for like-for-like reconstruction of foot and ankle defects.

Two-point discrimination (2PD) was assessed in flap and normal tissue at a minimum of 1 year post-operatively. A paired T-test assessed for significance.

8 patients were included. Mean 2PD in normal tissue and flap was 29 mm (SD: 11.9) and 33 mm (SD: 9.97) respectively with no statistically significant difference between the two (two-tailed p-value: 0.1898). Mean age was 53.2 years (range: 15-84). There was no statistically significant correlation between age and 2PD in flap tissue (r=0.6, p=0.15).

This is the largest case series of its kind. Our results suggest that sensation in medial plantar flaps can return to near normal and demonstrate the important role the medial plantar flap plays in soft tissue reconstruction in this region.