Reconstruction of Soft Tissues of the Postamputation Lower Leg Stump with a Free Anterolateral Thigh Flap for Optimal Prosthesis

Abstract

Summary: Patients without proper covering of the bone stump with soft tissues after below-knee amputation have limited opportunities for prosthesis. The resulting high degree of disability severely restricts their proper functioning in social and professional life. The commonly used significant reduction of the bone length for local coverage limits rehabilitative options to the less comprehensive prosthesis. We aimed to describe a delayed reconstruction with soft tissues of the lower leg stump using free anterolateral thigh flap as an alternative surgical method allowing for optimal prosthesis. A 20-year-old patient was consulted because of right lower leg stump, covered only with a skin graft following posttraumatic amputation. Previously, the patient had ineffective attempts of using a prosthesis. He asked to determine the possibility of recovering the functionality of the lower limb. We performed reconstruction of soft tissues of the stump with a free anterolateral thigh flap. Postoperatively, the patient achieved good coverage of the remaining part of the tibia with a thick layer of soft tissues, allowing the subsequent adequate forming of the stump. Therefore, a fixed prosthesis with the dynamic foot could be implemented. A significant increase in physical activity contributed to a full return to the patient’s professional and private life. In conclusion, the free anterolateral thigh flap provides a robust amount of good-quality tissues for supportive function of the lower limb stump. The resulting adaptation of the stump to numerous modern prosthetic devices significantly increases the range of physical activity and contributes to the full return of the patient to their professional and private life.