Objective To investigate the operative method and cl inical efficacy of repairing fingertip defect with modified reverse homodigital artery island flap. Methods From March 2000 to September 2006, 18 cases (24 fingers) of fingertip defect were treated, including 12 males and 6 females aged 18-53 years (mean 29 years). Defect was caused by crush injuries in 12 cases, by avulsion injury in 3 cases, by twist injury in 2 cases and by incised injury in 1 case. The time from injury tooperation was 2-8 hours (mean 4 hours). The location were index fingers (3 fingers), middle fingers (4 fingers) and ring fingers (17 fingers). The defects of soft tissue were 1.9 cm × 1.7 cm to 2.4 cm × 1.9 cm in size, the reverse homodigital artery island flaps were from 2.0 cm × 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm × 2.0 cm in size. The donor site was repaired with dumped skin grafting(3 cases) and with skin grafting from medial area of planta pedis (15 cases). Results Skin flaps and skin grafting of all the 24 fingers survived after operation. All incisions and donor sites healed by first intention. Sixteen patients (22 fingers) were followed up for 1-5 years (mean 3.2 years).The appearance and function of the flaps were all satisfactory. Two-point discriminations of flaps ranged from 4.5 mm to 6.3 mm. According to the total active movement/total passive movement assessment criteria, the results were excellent in 20 fingers and good in 2 fingers; and the excellent and good rate was 100%. The circumference of donor site was 2.0-3.5 mm shorter than that of normal side. The two-point discriminations of donor site was 7.8-10.5 mm. Conclusion Repairing defect of fingertip with modified reverse homodigital artery island flap can provide good texture and contour matching the recipient area, good function and l ittle trauma at donor site.
Objective To investigate the method and effectiveness of repairing fingertip defects with reverse island flappedicled with terminal dorsal branch of digital artery with sense reconstruction. Methods Between December 2008 and March2010, 32 patients (40 fingers) with fingertip defects were treated. There were 20 males (23 fingers) and 12 females (17 fingers), aged from 20 to 62 years (mean, 42 years). The time between injury and admission was from 1 to 8 hours. The injured fingers included thumb (2 cases), index finger (6 cases), index finger and middle finger (3 cases), middle finger (7 cases), middle finger and ring finger (3 cases),ring finger (8 cases), ring finger and little finger (2 cases), and little finger (1 case). The defect area ranged from 1.2 cm × 1.0 cm to 2.2 cm ×1.8 cm, and the flap area ranged from 1.5 cm × 1.0 cm to 2.5 cm × 2.0 cm. The fingertip defects were repaired by the reverse island flaps pedicled with terminal dorsal branch of digital artery and branch of digital nerve, and the branch of digital nerve was anastomosed withstump of proper digital nerve. The donor sites were repaired with free skin grafts. Results Bl isters occurred in 6 cases (9 fingers) andpartial necrosis of the flaps in 2 cases (2 fingers), which were cured after symptomatic treatment. The other flaps and skin grafts survived and the wounds healed by first intention. Thirty cases (38 fingers) were followed up 6 months postoperatively. The shape, contour of the reconstructed fingertip, and motivation of the fingers were satisfactory. The superficial sensation and deep pain sensation recovered after 6 months of operation. The two-point discrimination was 4-6 mm in 24 fingers, 7-10 mm in 13 fingers, and none in 1 finger. According to the functional assessment criteria of upper l imb formulated by the Hand Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association, S3 was achieved in 1 finger, S3+ in 13 fingers, and S4 in 24 fingers. Conclusion It is simple and safe to harvest the reverse island flap pedicled with terminal dorsal branch of digital artery with sense reconstruction; at the same time, the blood supply of the flap is rel iable and its sense can be reconstructed. It is one of effective methods for repairing fingertip defects.
Since 1992, the retrograde island skin flap with its pedicle containing the arteria pollicis dorsalis was used to repair 6 cases of the fingertip defects and the results were successful. The skin measured from 1.5cm x 2cm to 4cm x 3.5cm. From the followup, the external appearance of the thumbs looked nice, no limitation of joint motions was noticed and the pain sensation was recovered. The major improvement of this operation was that the donor skin was chosen from the dorsum of the first and second metacarpal bones, thus it was not necessary to divide the tendon of the extensor pollicis brevis, so that the operative procedure was simple and the postoperative functional recovery was rapid.
Objective To study the improved index finger dorsal island flap for primary repair of thumb tip injury. Methods Between January 2009 and February 2010, 23 patients with thumb tip injury were treated. There were 17 males and 6 females, aged 21-47 years (mean, 27.5 years). The causes of injury were mechanical injury in 18 cases and heavy crushing injury in 5 cases. The time from injury to operation was 2.5-5.0 hours (mean, 3.5 hours). The defect locations included ulnar palmar defect in 5 cases, dorsal foot defect in 6 cases, radial palmar defect in 8 cases, and radial dorsal defect in 4 cases. All patients complicated by exposure of the thumb distal phalanx. The wound area varied from 2.1 cm × 1.8 cm to 2.8 cm × 2.5 cm. According to distal soft tissue defect of thumb, a modified index finger dorsal island flap was designed, key point of which was moved forward, and defects were repaired with the flaps. The size of flap was 2.3 cm × 2.0 cm to 3.0 cm × 2.7 cm. The donor sites were repaired with skin graft. Results All the flaps and grafts survived after operation and the wounds healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6-12 months with an average of 6.4 months. The appearance and texture of the flaps were excellent. At last follow-up, the sensation of the flaps recovered to S3+ in 18 cases, to S3 in 2 cases, and to S2 in 3 cases. The two-point discrimination was 3-4 mm. Thumb opposition function was normal without contracture at the first web space. The skin graft at the donor site survived completely, and the metacarpophalangeal joint at donor site had the flexion and extension function. Conclusion Using a modified index finger dorsal island flap for primary repair thumb tip injury is a simple operation, which has good blood supply and high survival rate. When the pedicle flap rotation point is moved forward 10 mm or more, it can meet the needs of repairing thumb tip defect.