An abductor digiti minimi flap is used to cover which wound?

• A. Lateral malleolar wound
• B. Posterior heel wound
• C. Medial malleolar wound
• D. Anterior ankle wound

Answer: (A)

The key idea is using a local flap that comes from tissue adjacent to the wound, with a reliable blood supply, to recreate soft tissue coverage over a specific area. The abductor digiti minimi flap is a regional, pedicled flap harvested from the lateral side of the foot, drawing its blood supply from the lateral plantar vessels. Because the lateral malleolus sits directly under this region, this flap can be rotated to cover a lateral malleolar wound with tissue that matches the area in thickness and texture and provides robust vascularized coverage. It protects exposed structures, helps prevent infection, and avoids more complex reconstruction or free tissue transfer when a simpler solution suffices. Wounds in other ankle regions—posterior heel, medial malleolus, or anterior ankle—generally require different flaps tailored to those locations, so the abductor digiti minimi flap is the preferred option for lateral malleolar defects.