{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T09:27:30Z","timestamp":1785403650454,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776816000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Anhui Institute of Translational Medicine","award":["2023zhyx-C57"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023zhyx-C57"]}]},{"award":["2023zhyx-C57"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023zhyx-C57"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04f7jrb21","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: To investigate the method and clinical outcomes of employing plantar propeller perforator flaps for the repair of defects in the plantar region. Methods: This was a retrospective case series of 40 patients (20 males, 20 females; age range 20\u201375 years) who underwent plantar defect reconstruction using the horn-shaped perforator flap technique between January 2020 and October 2025. Defect etiologies included malignant melanoma (n = 24), melanocytic nevus (n = 3), and refractory wounds (n = 13). Defect sizes ranged from 2 cm \u00d7 1.5 cm to 5 cm \u00d7 5 cm. The primary outcome was flap survival; secondary outcomes included functional recovery (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society AOFAS score), sensory recovery (Semmes\u2013Weinstein monofilaments), and time to full weight-bearing. Results: Complete flap survival was achieved in 38\/40 patients (95%). Two patients (5%) experienced minor distal wound dehiscence and necrosis, successfully managed with full-thickness skin grafting and dressing changes without compromising final outcomes. Mean follow-up was 14.2 \u00b1 6.8 months (range 3\u201324 months). Mean AOFAS score was 91.3 \u00b1 5.6, with 80% achieving excellent functional recovery. Protective sensation was present in 87.1% of the tested patients. Mean time to full weight-bearing was 6.4 \u00b1 1.8 weeks. No local tumor recurrence occurred in melanoma patients during follow-up. Conclusions: The horn-shaped perforator flap provides a reliable source of homologous glabrous skin for reconstructing small-to-medium-sized plantar defects while avoiding skin grafting at the donor site. Its combined rotation\u2013advancement mechanism, flexible triangular leading-edge strategies, and preservation of multiple perforators contribute to favorable functional and aesthetic outcomes. Prospective comparative studies with standardized plantar-specific outcome measures are warranted.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15093197","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T12:54:08Z","timestamp":1776862448000},"page":"3197","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Horn-Shaped Perforator Flaps for Plantar"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Zhuoran","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinyi","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaojing","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fei","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yun","family":"Bai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hui","family":"Cheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"174","DOI":"10.1097\/01.sap.0000099704.02280.d6","article-title":"Heel reconstruction with an iliac osteocutaneous free flap: 10-year follow-up","volume":"53","author":"Stanec","year":"2004","journal-title":"Ann. 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Venereol."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/9\/3197\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T13:01:07Z","timestamp":1776862867000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/9\/3197"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]]},"references-count":21,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm15093197"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm15093197","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]]}}}