Advertisement for orthosearch.org.uk
You currently have no access to view or download this content. Please log in with your institutional or personal account if you should have access to through either of these
The Bone & Joint Journal Logo

Receive monthly Table of Contents alerts from The Bone & Joint Journal

Comprehensive article alerts can be set up and managed through your account settings

View my account settings

Foot

Mechanical properties of heel pads reconstructed with flaps



Download PDF

Abstract

We compared the mechanical properties of normal and reconstructed heel pads in seven patients. Four had latissimus dorsi flaps and one each an anterior thigh flap, a local dorsalis pedis flap and a sural arterial flap.

The thickness of the heel pad was measured under serial incremental loads of 0.5 kg to a maximum of 3 kg and then relaxed sequentially. The load-displacement curve of the heel pad during a loading-unloading cycle was plotted and from this the unloaded heel-pad thickness (UHPT), compressibility index (CI), elastic modulus (Ep), and energy dissipation ratio (EDR) were calculated.

The EDR was significantly increased in the reconstructed heels (53.7 ± 18% v 23.4 ± 6.5%, p = 0.003) indicating that in them more energy is dissipated as heat. Insufficient functional capacity in the reconstructed heel pad can lead to the development of shock-induced discomfort and ulceration.


Correspondence should be sent to Dr C.-L. Wang.

For access options please click here