Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of V-Y advancement flap pedicled with dorsal cutaneous branch of digital artery for skin defect at the same dorsal finger. Methods Between January 2008 and February 2010, 15 cases of skin defect at the same dorsal finger were treated. There were 9 males and 6 females, aged 15-72 years (mean, 43 years). Defect was caused by saw machine in 6 cases, machines crush in 7 cases, and cutting nodule in 2 cases. The locationswere distal dorsal finger in 2 cases, middle dorsal finger in 6 cases, and proximal dorsal finger in 7 cases. All cases compl icated by exposure of tendon and bone. The size of defect ranged from 0.8 cm × 0.5 cm to 1.4 cm × 1.0 cm. The interval between injury and operation was 3-8 hours. All fingers were treated by V-Y advancement flap from the dorsal cutaneous branch of digital artery, which size was 1.2 cm × 0.8 cm-2.5 cm × 1.0 cm, and the donor site was directly sutured. Fracture reductionand Kirschner wire for internal fixation were performed in the patients with fracture; extensor tendon was repaired with 4-0 thread in the patients with tendon injury. Results All flaps survived completely. The incisions of donor and recipient sites healed by first intention. Ten cases were followed up 6 months to 2 years after operation. The flaps had good texture, color, and appearance; 2-point discrimination of the V-Y flap was 10-12 mm. X-ray examination showed that all finger fractures healedsuccessfully in 5 cases, with an average bone union time of 6 weeks (range, 5-8 weeks). According to the criteria for function assessment by total active motion, the results were excellent in 8 cases, good in 1, and fair in 1 with an excellent and good rate of 90%. Conclusion It is an ideal method to treat skin defect at the same dorsal finger with V-Y advancement flap pedicled with dorsal cutaneous branch of digital artery.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the second dorsal metacarpal artery fascial vascular pedicle retrograde island flap relaying the dorsal island flap of the index finger in repairing skin and soft tissue defects of the thumb. Methods The clinical data of 8 patients with skin and soft tissue defects of thumb between October 2019 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 3 males and 5 females with an average age of 35 years (range, 18-52 years). The causes of injury included machine injury in 2 cases, crush injury in 3 cases, and cutting injury in 3 cases. There were 2 cases of dorsal defect of the proximal part, 1 dorsal defect of the distal part, and 5 instances of the distal part defect. The skin and soft tissue defects ranged from 1.7 cm×1.4 cm to 3.0 cm×2.5 cm. The time from injury to flap repair was 7-21 days, with an average of 14 days. Firstly, the dorsal island flap of the index finger (dorsal side of the proximal part of the index finger) was used to repair the defect of the thumb. Then the second dorsal metacarpal artery fascia vascular pedicle retrograde island flap (near the radial side of the back of the hand) was used to repair the dorsal defect of the index finger; the donor site was sutured directly. ResultsVascular crisis of the flap occurred in 1 case within 48 hours after operation, and the flap was bloated and bruised in 1 case due to excessive suture tension, and all the flaps survived after symptomatic treatment; partial skin margin of the flap was necrotic in 1 case after operation, and the incision healed after dressing change; the other 5 flaps survived, and all the wounds in the donor and recipient sites healed by first intention. All the 8 patients were followed up 3-10 months, with an average of 6 months. One patient had mild scar; the other patients had no significant difference in the color of the flap and the surrounding skin, no adhesion of tendons, and little interference of index finger function, and there was no obvious pain and dysfunction in the donor and recipient sites of the flap. At last follow-up, the extension-flexion range of motion of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb was 0°-55°, and that of the interphalangeal joint was 0°-75°; the extension-flexion range of motion of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger was 0°-82°, that of the proximal interphalangeal joints was 0°-90°, and that of the distal interphalangeral joints was 0°-65°. Conclusion The application of the second dorsal metacarpal artery fascial vascular pedicle retrograde island flap relaying the dorsal island flap of the index finger to repair skin and soft tissue defect wounds of thumb is a feasible treatment with reliable blood supply, less postoperative complications, no need for skin grafting, less interference to the function of the index finger, and satisfactory wound repair effect.
To investigate the operative method of repairing soft tissue defect of finger with modified reverse dorsal digital fascia flap and its cl inical effect of preventing and treating venous crisis. Methods From February 2005 to March 2007, 19 cases (22 fingers) with soft tissue defect of finger were treated, including 14 males (17 fingers) and 5 females (5 fingers) aged 2-62 years old (median 26 years old). There were 8 cases of cutting injury, 6 cases of crush injury, 4 cases of avulsion injury, and 1 case of hot crush injury, involving 3 thumbs, 7 index fingers, 6 middle fingers, 4 ring fingers and 2 l ittle fingers. The size of soft tissue defect was 1.5 cm × 0.8 cm-5.5 cm × 1.5 cm, and the time from injury to operation was 2-11 hours(average 7 hours). The axis of flaps was the l ine of transverse striation of fingers via dominant artery. The flaps were deflected dorsally, as “b” or “d”, to cover the wounds. Reverse dorsal digital fascia flaps 1.8 cm × 1.0 cm-6.0 cm × 2.0 cm in size were adopted to repair the defects. The donor site underwent skin grafting fixation. Results All flaps survived, without venous crisis and obvious swollen. The grafted skin in the donor site all survived. All patients were followed for 6-18 months (average 11 months). Postoperatively, color and texture of the grafted flaps were similar to that of normal skin, and the pulp of the fingers was normal. The two-point discrimination was 8-11 mm, and the activities of interphalangeal joint of all injured fingers were normal. Conclusion The modified reverse dorsal digital fascia flap is ideal for repairing soft tissues defects of the fingers, and can decrease the occurrence of venous crisis.
Objective?To investigate the surgical methods and clinical results of repairing soft tissue defects in the thumb with distally-based dorsal thumb neurocutaneous vascular flap.?Methods?From January 2006 to October 2007, 23 patients with soft tissue defect in the thumb were treated, including 20 males and 3 females aged 19-46 years old (average 27.5 years old). The defect was caused by crush injury in 1 case, electric planer accident in 6 cases, incised injury in 8 cases, and avulsion injury in 8 cases. The defect was located on the palmar aspect of the thumb distal phalanx in 3 cases, the dorsal-radial aspect of the thumb distal phalanx in 3 cases, and ulnar or dorsal aspect in 17 cases. The defect size ranged from 3.3 cm × 1.2 cm to 4.2 cm × 1.2 cm. Among them, 18 cases were complicated with distal 1/2 nail bed defect or injury. The time between injury and hospital admission was 1- 72 hours (average 22 hours). During operation, the defect was repaired with distally-based dorsal-radial neurovenocutaneous vascular flap of the thumb in 3 cases and distally-based dorsal-ulnar neurovenocutaneous vascular flap of the thumb in 20 cases. The size of those flaps was 4.0 cm × 1.6 cm-5.0 cm × 3.0 cm. The donor site underwent direct suture or split thickness skin graft repair.?Results?At 10 days after operation, 3 cases suffered from the epidermal necrosis in the distal part of the flap, 2 of them experienced the exfoliation of dark scab 14 days later and the flap survived, and the flap of the rest one survived after dressing change. The other flaps and the skin graft at the donor site all survived uneventfully. The wounds healed by first intention. All the patients were followed up for 10-16 months (average 12.6 months). The flaps were soft in texture and full in appearance. The two-point discrimination value 6 months after operation was 8-10 mm. At 12 months after operation, the growth of the residual fingernail was evident in 18 cases, including 4 cases of curved or hook fingernail. Active flexion and extension of the thumb were normal. The abduction of the first web space reached or surpassed 80 percent of the normal side in 20 cases and was below 80 percent of the normal side in 3 cases. The clinical outcomes were satisfactory in 11 cases, approximately satisfactory in 8 cases, and unsatisfactory in 4 cases according to self-designed evaluation system.?Conclusion?The operative method of repairing the soft tissue defects in the thumb with the distally-based dorsal thumb neurocutaneous vascular flap is simple, stable in anatomy, in line with the principle of proximity, and suitable for repairing thumb tip defect 3 cm in size. It can bring a good postoperative appearance of the thumb and little influence on the hand function.