Successful replantation of the heel pad: a seven-year follow-up.

The authors present a case of successful replantation of the soft tissue of the heel. Circulation was restored by the use of a vein graft from the posterior tibial artery to an arterial branch of the subcutaneous plexus found on the medial aspect of the heel. Two small veins were anastomosed at the edge of the defect. The heel lacks sensation, but the patient has been able to return to work as a heavy laborer in a steel foundry and is walking without the use of orthotics or modified shoes seven years later. This is the first reported case of successful replantation of only the soft tissue of the heel.