01535nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002200055653001500077653001100092653001200103653002000115653002200135100001600157700001400173245009200187856005900279300001000338490000700348050003200355520089200387022001401279       1995                            d  c1995 Mar10aFollow-Up Studies10aFoot Ulcer10aHumans10aleprosy10aTibial Arteries10aTreatment Outcome1 aArolkar S K1 aAntia N H00aVascular surgery of the posterior tibial compartment for plantar ulceration in leprosy.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1995/v66n1/pdf/v66n1a07.pdf  a48-540 v66  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>Traditional surgical decompression of the posterior tibial nerve yields equivocal results. The authors postulate that the posterior tibial artery is the most compromised structure in the neurovascular compartment and that the best surgical results in healing of plantar ulcers are achieved by the rechannelling of the blood flow in the posterior tibial artery during posterior tibial neurovascular compartment surgery. This procedure has been of benefit to patients with plantar ulcers of greater than 7-10 years' duration in whom all other modes of healing had failed. It has been undertaken as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia, supported by postoperative vasodilator drugs. The use of tourniquet, antibiotics and surgical interference with the ulcer per se was eschewed. A report of 156 patients is presented with follow-up of up to 6 years for the earlier cases.</p>  a0305-7518