ReviewEplasty2022
How Safe Is Reverse Sural Flap?: A Systematic Review.
Review in Eplasty, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Distally Based Adipofascial Flaps for Reconstruction of Distal Lower-Extremity Defects: Clinical Outcomes and Reconstructive Considerations.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Venous supercharging of the reverse sural artery flap prevents venous salvage procedures : a preliminary 63-case comparative series.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2026Article
- Clinical and Functional Outcomes Following Reverse Sural Flap of Lower Extremity Defects: A Comparative Retrospective Study.Clinics in orthopedic surgery · 2026Article
- COMPARISON OF THE USE OF THE SURAL FLAP FOR THE MEDIAL, LATERAL, AND CENTRAL REGIONS OF THE ANKLE.Acta ortopedica brasileira · 2026Article
- Chinese expert consensus on wound repair of venous leg ulcers (2025 edition).Military Medical Research · 2026Article
- Reconstructive Strategies in Post-Traumatic Osteomyelitis of the Lower Limb: A Case Series and Surgical Algorithm Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- 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 · 2025Article
- Exploring Reverse Sural Flap Necrosis in Lupus-like Syndrome: Challenges and Strategies in Lower Limb Reconstruction-A Case Presentation.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Review
- The Concept of Treatment for Surgical Infection in the Hindfoot.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2024Article
- Simplified soft tissue coverage of the distal lower extremity: The reverse sural flap.OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Soft tissue reconstruction of the lower third of the leg, the ankle, and the foot is challenging for reconstructive surgeons. The options for reconstruction are limited. Reverse sural flap is relatively easy to perform and considered a good option for reconstruction. The complication rates are variable in studies. This study aims to systemically review all available articles based on reverse sural flap focusing on complications of the flap. The overall complication of the flap helps to better understand the reliability of the flap. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar to identify cases of reverse sural artery flap. Results: A pooled analysis of 89 articles was performed, which yielded 2575 patients (2592 flaps) over a period of 19 years. Most of the cases were performed in Asian countries (1540 flaps, 59.4%) with the majority being performed in China (746 flaps, 28.8%). The most common cause for reverse sural flap surgery was trauma/postsurgical (1785/2592) followed by burn/scarring. Flap complications were recorded in 653 of 2592 flaps (25.20%). The most common complication was partial flap loss, which was recorded in 204 flaps (7.85%) followed by venous congestion (79 flaps, 3.05%). Complete flap loss was observed only in 66 participants (2.5% of all the flaps performed). Conclusions: Reverse sural flap is reliable flap for the reconstruction of lower leg, ankle, and foot. It can give a comparable outcome as free flap when meticulously performed and, in many cases, a better result.
Indexed as
Identifiers
35873071PMC9275416W4288064221What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.