Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34434674›Full record

ArticleCureus2021

A Single-Center Surgical Experience With the Reverse Sural Artery Flap as a Reliable Solution for Lower Leg Soft Tissue Defects, With Minimum Two-Year Follow-Up.

Efstratios D Athanaselis, Apostolos Fyllos, Aristeidis H Zibis, Theofilos Karachalios, Michael Hantes, Zoe Dailiana, Konstantinos Malizos, Sokratis Varitimidis

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Reverse sural artery flap for lower extremity reconstruction: a multicenter retrospective analysis of success and failure patterns.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Efstratios D AthanaselisOrthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Trauma, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, GRC.
Apostolos FyllosOrthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Trauma, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, GRC.
Aristeidis H ZibisAnatomy, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, GRC.
Theofilos KarachaliosOrthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Trauma, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, GRC.
Michael HantesOrthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Trauma, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, GRC.
Zoe DailianaOrthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Trauma, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, GRC.
Konstantinos MalizosOrthopedics and Musculoskeletal Trauma, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, GRC.
Sokratis VaritimidisOrthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Trauma, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, GRC.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimSmall soft tissue defects of the distal tibia and hindfoot resulting from traumatic, operative, or neoplastic conditions and chronic ulcers can be successfully dealt with the use of the reverse sural artery flap (RSAF). This study aims to describe a single center's results and familiarity with this technique over a 15-year period of time. MATERIAL AND

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical files of patients who were consecutively treated with RSAF and regularly followed up between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2018, with a minimum postoperative follow-up period of two years. Patient demographics and comorbidities, location of the defect, performing surgeon, mean operation time, flap pedicle width, mean size of the defect, days of hospitalization following the operation, healing flap rate, and complications were recorded.

resultsThe sample consisted of 30 adult patients (25 men, 5 women), with a mean age of 51.07 years (16-80 years, SD 18.61). The mean operation time was 99.03 min (range 83-131, SD 10.57), and the mean size of the defect was 11.11 cm

conclusionsA single-center experience with the RSAF has yielded satisfactory clinical outcomes, and the long-term tackle with the difficult reconstruction conditions around the ankle, has led to valuable advice on surgical technique and postoperative protocol, based on an anatomical basis.

Indexed as

arterycomplicationcutaneous nervediabetic foot ulcerspedicled flapreconstructionsoft tissue defect

Identifiers

PMID34434674
PMCPMC8380273

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.