Objective To evaluate the recovery of sensory and motor function after repair of forefoot plantar wounds with

retrograde medial plantar flap. Methods The clinical data of 15 patients with forefoot plantar wounds that were repaired by retrograde medial plantar flap from February 2016 to August 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The causes of the wounds included electric injury （3 cases）， avulsion injury （1 case）， diabetes mellitus （2 cases）， and tumor resection （9 cases，including 8 melanomas and 1 desmoid）. The size of harvested flaps ranged from 5 cm×5 cm to 6 cm×8 cm. Patients were followed up for 13-103 months to evaluate the flap sensation， sensory and motor function of the foot and toe， and appearance of donor and recipient site. Results The blood supply of all flaps was good after operation. Postoperative venous congestion occurred in 2 cases， which was relieved by needle puncture for bloodletting and heparin saline flushing. One-month and three-month postoperative follow-up showed that all 15 flaps presented soft texture and good appearance without bloating.

However， the sensation of pain， temperature and two-point discrimination were lost. In the long-term follow-up initiated in September 2024， four cases were lost to follow-up， three of them were unavailable and one died. The remaining 11 patients could walk on the ground in normal gait without difficulty. Sensation of pain， temperature and touch were partially restored. Futhermore， active flexion and extention of the toes on the affected side were present， and toe muscle strength （Manual Muscle Testing， MMT） was graded≥4. Conclusion The retrograde medial plantar flap is effective in repairing small to  medium-size forefoot plantar wounds by achieving good appearance， restoring the sensory， motor and weight-bearing function partially to a reasonable extent.

Retrograde medial plantar flap, Forefoot plantar wound, Function recovery