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Free fasciocutaneous flap methods offer potential functional and aesthetic advantages but may involve longer operations and risks of flap failure. This observational study evaluates functional outcomes after wide excision of heel skin cancer followed by lateral arm free flap reconstruction, analyzing flap survival, complications, LEFS, and AOFAS.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/usefulness-of-lateral-arm-free-flap-in-heel-reconstructions-after-malignant-skin-tumor-excision-an-observational-study/461525/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/usefulness-of-lateral-arm-free-flap-in-heel-reconstructions-after-malignant-skin-tumor-excision-an-observational-study/461525.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Mafia Boss","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-08","2026-09-30",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":29},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What was the main objective of this observational study?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"To examine the functional outcomes of heel reconstruction using free lateral arm fasciocutaneous flaps after wide excision of heel skin cancer.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How were functional outcomes assessed after surgery?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Postoperative functional assessments used the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, comparing preoperative and postoperative values at least 12 months after surgery.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What were the key findings regarding flap survival and complications?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"All eight flaps survived, with one congestive episode. Donor site issues included hypertrophic scarring and transient sensory changes in the lateral arm region, which resolved with conservative management.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},461525,1790793984,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":29,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":52,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},962090760730,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","Article  \nUsefulness of Lateral Arm Free Flap in Heel Reconstructions After Malignant Skin Tumor Excision: An Observational Study  \nSoyeon Jung 1, Sodam Yi 2 and Seokchan Eun 2, *  \nAcademic Editor: Dennis Paul Orgill  \nReceived: 2 November 2025  \nRevised: 22 December 2025  \nAccepted: 23 December 2025  \nPublished: 26 December 2025  \nCopyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.  \n1 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hallym University College of Medicine, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hwaseong 18450, Republic of Korea; [ps.soyeon.jung@gmail.com](ps.soyeon.jung@gmail.com)  \n2 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, Republic of Korea; [isds4774@snubh.org](isds4774@snubh.org)  \n* Correspondence: [sceun@snu.ac.kr](sceun@snu.ac.kr); Tel.: +82-31-787-7223  \nAbstract  \nBackground/Objectives: Heel reconstruction is a complex procedure that requires soft tissue reconstruction resistant to weight, pressure, and shear stress. Various flap reconstruction methods have been reported; among them, free fasciocutaneous flaps have advantagesin terms of function and aesthetics, but also have challenges due to the longer operation time required and the possibility of failure. The primary aim of this study was to examine the functional outcomes of heel reconstruction using free lateral arm fasciocutaneous flaps after wide excision of heel skin cancer. Methods: Between January 2014 and December 2020, eight patients underwent wide excision of skin cancer and reconstruction of the heel with a lateral arm free flap. Perioperative clinical data and postoperative outcomes, including flap survival, complications, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) score, and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scale (AOFAS) score, were analyzed from clinical records. Functional assessments were performed at a minimum of 12 months postoperatively (mean 18.3 months, range 12–24 months) by a single blinded examiner who was not involved in the surgical procedures. Both preoperative and postoperative LEFS and AOFAS scores were recorded for comparison. Results: The mean size of the skin and soft tissue defect was 32 cm2, the mean duration of surgery was 179 (range: 160–215) minutes, and the mean duration of hospital stay after surgery was 17 (range: 14–19) days, with a mean follow-up period of 48 (range: 33–59) months. Among the eight patients, two had diabetes mellitus (25%), one had peripheral neuropathy (12.5%), and none had clinically significant peripheral vasculopathy. All flaps survived, with one congestive episode. Satisfactory aesthetic and functional results were observed in all patients. The mean preoperative LEFS score was 28 (SD ± 6.1), which improved significantly to a postoperative mean of 57 (SD ± 8.3) . Similarly, the mean preoperative AOFAS score was 45 (SD ± 5.8), improving to a postoperative mean of 61 (SD ± 6.2) . Minor donor site complications included hypertrophic scarring in two patients (25%) and transient sensory changes in the lateral arm region in three patients (38%), all of which resolved with conservative management. Conclusions: This research suggests that the lateral arm free flap can be considered a reliable option in heel reconstruction, resulting in acceptable functional and aesthetic outcomes. It provides excellent durability, with solid bony union and good contour in small to moderate-sized heel defect cases.  \nKeywords: heel; oncologic defect; free flap; lateral arm flap  \n1. Introduction  \nThe heel has particular histologic characteristics, namely, a thick epidermis and dermis with very thin subcutaneous tissue consisting of numerous fibrous septa traversing the skin to the plantar aponeurosis [1] . These septa divide the ","cbCaiprGj2psi1hs","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiprGj2psi1hs","pdf",1132995,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n# Materials and Methods\n## Study participants\n## Data collection and outcome measures\n# Results\n## Clinical characteristics\n## Flap survival and complications\n## Functional outcomes\n# Discussion\n# Conclusions","[{\"question\":\"What was the main objective of this observational study?\",\"answer\":\"To examine the functional outcomes of heel reconstruction using free lateral arm fasciocutaneous flaps after wide excision of heel skin cancer.\"},{\"question\":\"How were functional outcomes assessed after surgery?\",\"answer\":\"Postoperative functional assessments used the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, comparing preoperative and postoperative values at least 12 months after surgery.\"},{\"question\":\"What were the key findings regarding flap survival and complications?\",\"answer\":\"All eight flaps survived, with one congestive episode. Donor site issues included hypertrophic scarring and transient sensory changes in the lateral arm region, which resolved with conservative management.\"}]","Usefulness of Lateral Arm Free Flap in Heel Reconstructions After Malignant Skin Tumor Excision: An Observational Study | PDF",1790761792,25]