The Use of the Pedicled Nonislanded Foot Fillet Flap to Avoid an Above-the-Knee Amputation after Trauma

Lower extremity trauma can have a devastating effect on the quality of the life of patients. To avoid limb amputation and its associated social stigma, many patients spend years undergoing multiple costly procedures, with prolonged hospital stays, all the while hoping for an elusive limb salvage. People with lower limb amputation experience higher energy requirements for walking, reduced aerobic capacity, and slower walking speeds, when compared with people with normal limbs. A below-knee amputation (BKA) is functionally superior to an above-knee amputation.