Surgical management of heel ulcers--a comprehensive approach

Reconstruction of the ankle, heel, and foot remains a challenging, often frustrating problem for surgeon and patient alike. Little local soft tissue is available for the reconstruction, and often the underlying disorder precludes use of some procedures. The ankle and the heel are vital musculoskeletal structures, responsible for shock absorption, weight-bearing, and locomotion, and their dysfunction inflicts discomfort and disability on the individual that commonly lasts many months or even over a year. Soft tissue defects on the weight-bearing versus the nonweight-bearing surfaces present two quite different problems. Many surgical modalities, beginning with a skin graft and ending with microvascular transplantation of sensile tissues, are now available to the reconstructive surgeon for resurfacing the sole of the foot. We present a classification of heel ulcers based on their etiology, location, size, and the status of the peripheral circulation; offer new operative modalities and update the operations already available; and suggest an orderly approach to selecting an operation for reconstructing the foot.