ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical characteristics of motorcycle spoke heel injury and the effectiveness of sequential therapy of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) and pedicled flap transplantation for treating motorcycle spoke heel injury in children. MethodsBetween January 2010 and January 2014, 15 children (aged from 3 to 8 years, 5.7 years on average) with motorcycle spoke heel injury received sequential therapy of VSD and pedicled flap transplantation. The interval from injury to admission was 3-7 days, with an average of 4.9 days. The locations were the heel in 8 cases, the heel and lateral malleolus in 2 cases, and the medial malleolus and medial heel in 4 cases, and the medial and lateral malleolus and heel in 1 case. The patients had different degrees of defects of the skin, tendon, and bone. The skin defect size ranged from 3 cm×3 cm to 13 cm×6 cm. VSD was applied for twice in 13 cases and three times in 2 cases. Reversed flow sural flap was applied in 8 cases, lateral supramalleolar flap in 2 cases, medial supramalleolar perforator-based flaps in 4 cases, and posterior tibial artery flap in 1 case. Eight pedicled flaps with neuroanastomosis were selected according to the wound characteristics. The flap size ranged from 4 cm×4 cm to 14 cm×7 cm. ResultsOf 15 cases, 13 flaps survived well except that two had partial skin necrosis at the distal site. Primary healing was obtained, and skin graft at donor site survived. The patients were followed up 9-21 months (mean, 13 months). Mild and moderate bulky flaps were observed in 9 cases and 6 cases respectively. Of 15 cases, 13 could walk with weight loading, and 2 had slight limping. Superficial sensation recovered to S3 in 8 patients undergoing neuroanastomosis, and recovered to S2 in 7 patients not undergoing neuroanastomosis at 6 months after operation. According to AOFAS evaluation system for Ankle-Hindfoot, the results were excellent in 13 cases and good in 2 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 100% at 8 months after operation. ConclusionThe main characteristic of motorcycle spoke heel injury lies in a combination of high energy damage and thermal damage. Sequential therapy of VSD and pedicled flap transplantation can be regarded as a reliable option to obtain good outcome of wound healing and satisfactory functional recovery for the management of motorcycle spoke heel injury.