Microsurgery
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Soft tissue defects exposing the Achilles tendon are challenging. Local perforator flaps represent a valuable option gaining increasing popularity. Despite preoperative planning an adequate perforator cannot always be found intraoperatively. The free peroneal artery perforator flap can serve as a back-up option limiting the donor site morbidity to the same extremity without sacrificing major vessels or nerves. ⋯ Pedicled perforator flaps as propeller flaps add options to the armamentarium of microsurgeons. Despite thorough preoperative planning the surgeons must be prepared to perform a different method of reconstruction if inadequate vessels are encountered. To limit additional donor site morbidity, local options are preferred. The free peroneal artery perforator flap represents a good option as it matches the original tissue properties closely. The complication rate of propeller flaps in this series is tolerable. Propeller flaps should therefore be considered an alternative but not as a replacement of local fasciocutaneous flaps.