Considering the abundant vascular anastomotic networks in the deep fascia of the posterior calf, three kinds of distally based facial flap containing deep fascial vascular network were applied clinically. They were: 1. posterolateral distally based island fascial flap which could be used to repair the skin defect of heel, dorsum of foot and lateral-distal part of leg; 2. posteromedial distally based island fascial flap which could be used to repair the skin defect of heel, medial malleolus and medial-distal part of leg and 3. posterolateral malleolar distally based fascial flap which could be used to repair the skin defect of heel and lateral malleolus. Eighteen cases with soft tissue defects around the distal calf were treated, the area of skin defect ranged from 4 cm x 3 cm to 13 cm x 6 cm. All the flaps were survived completely after operation with an average of follow-up for 15 months (ranged from 6 months to 2 years). So the advantages of these flaps were as follows: the blood supply was reliable, preparation of the flap was easy and the major arteries of the calf needed not be sacrificed; the flap had a long and rotatable pedicle so that they would basically satisfy the need to repair skin defect of lower leg, dorsum of foot, heel and malleolus and the resistance of the flap to pressure and wear was better. However, the injury to the superficial sural nerve was the shortcoming.
In order to preserve the major vessels of the extremities in the repair and reconstruction of wounds of the extremities, the distally based fascial pedicled island flap was applied clinically. Its axis and rotatary point were designed along orientation of the major arteries, and the blood supply was from the abundant vascular networks in the deep fascia. Twenty-two cases with exposure of tendon and bone including 10 upper limbs and 12 lower limbs were treated. The flap area of forearm ranged from 7 cm x 8 cm to 12 cm x 9 cm and the ratio of the length to width of the pedicle was 1: 1-2. The flap area of the calf ranged from 10 cm x 6 cm to 16.5 cm x 12 cm and the ratio of the length to width of the pedicle was 2:1. The rotatary angle was 130 degrees-170 degrees. After operation, 18 flaps were survived completely, 2 cases had partial necrosis on the margin, 2 failures received cross-leg flap in the second operation. The patients were followed up with an average of 13.5 months (ranged from 3 months to 2 years). The conclusions were as follows: 1. the blood supply of this type of flap was reliable and the major arteries of the extremities needed not to be sacrificed; 2. the preparation of the flap was easy and the survival rate was satisfactory; 3. the shortcomings of this flap were unsightly incision scar and the limited size of flap and; 4. during the operation, the compression of the pedicle must be avoided.