Lower Limb Trauma

[vc_row equal_height=”yes”][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]The increase in road traffic accidents has increased the number and severity of the lower extremity injuries. Ultimate goal of reconstructing lower limb is to provide a stable, sensate foot which is capable of weight bearing. The outcome of managing lower extremity injuries depend on various factors like, the level of injury, involvement of sole of foot, involvement of joints, whether the blood supply is affected, and involvement of the nerve supplying sensation to foot.

In severe cases, the decision on possibility of saving the leg can only be made after surgical debridement (cleaning of the wound under anaesthesia). Good ortho-plastic team approach (orthopaedician to fix the bones appropriately and plastic surgeon to provide good timely wound cover), is required for the best functional outcome.

All traumatic injuries of leg and foot, often require initial debridement under anaesthesia to clean out all non viable tissue and dirt and the contaminants. Then, depending on the kind of wound, options to provide cover are considered. Skin or muscle from surrounding area can be used to cover the wound if it is a lowveoocity trauma and surrounding area is normal. But, quite often in high velocity road traffic accidents, such an option is not available and tissue from another part of body, usually thigh or back, is taken along with its blood vessels and placed on the leg wound. The blood vessels are then joined to the blood vessels in the leg. These are advanced plastic surgical procedures requiring specific training[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Foot Trauma Surgeon

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Common in road traffic accidents. Involvement of sole is important in terms of functional outcome. Heel is a specialized skin structure that is impossible to replicate surgically. But, various flaps (tissues transferred from ones body) are used to cover the bone so patient can start walking on it[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes”][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”2490″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]

Road traffic accident with injury to foot and dead skin on the sole.

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Wound debrided ( all dead tissue removed) and covered with latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior (muscle) flap.

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Long term result. Well settled flap with good weight bearing.

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Large wound on the foot due to accident.

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Covered with skin flap from the region of calf (peroneal artery perforator flap).

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Post traumatic wound in the heel.

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Wound covered with gracilis free flap (muscle in the inner thigh region) + graft.

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Large wound in the leg following road side accident.

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Severe bone injury with loss of leg bone (tibia).

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Late result after covereage with latissimus dorsi free flap and ilizarov technique of bone lengthening.

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