Lower Extremity Reconstruction

Lower extremity reconstruction can change lives. In the past, severe injuries would lead to amputations. However, with new surgical techniques, limb salvage is possible in many patients. Our board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Harvey Chim, MD, FACS, performs these types of surgeries.


Hear from one of Dr.Harvey Chim’s patients

If you have one of the following, reconstruction may be an option.   

  • Chronic open wounds in the leg
  • Tibia bone fractures with loss of skin and soft tissue
  • Chronic osteomyelitis (bone infection)
  • Bone and soft tissue tumors
  • Vascular disease

Reconstructive techniques

  • Soft tissue reconstruction
    • Fasciocutaneous flaps
    • Muscle flaps
    • Free tissue transfer/ Microsurgery
    • Bone reconstruction
      • Vascularized bone grafts
      • Free fibula transfer

Amputee reconstruction

Targeted muscle reinnervation is a new technique that allows intuitive control of upper and lower limb prostheses. Residual nerves from amputated limbs are transferred to reinnervate new muscle targets that have lost their function. These reinnervated muscles serve as biological amplifiers of motor signals. This allows prostheses with more degrees of freedom and allows amputees to walk naturally using their prostheses by thinking about what they want to do, for example, to flex and extend the knee and flex and extend the ankle. Targeted muscle reinnervation also prevents neuroma pain by providing an end organ/muscle for the nerve stump to grow into.