Objective To introduce the application of the pedicled anterolateral thigh flap transferring for coverage of the oversized skin defect of the hand. Methods The pedicled anterolateral thigh flap was transferred to cover the large skin defects of the hands or the skin defects of theabdomen after the abdominal flap transferred to the hand in 5 male patients aged 16-44 years from April 2002 to August 2005. The injured sites were as follows:4 right hands and 1 left hand, including 2 hands injured by a machine and 3 hands injured by burning.The mechanically injured patients underwent an operation within 6 hours after the injury. The burned patients were reconstructed by the flap transferring 4-7 days after the burn when the decayed tissues could be clearly indentified.The areas of the hand defects were 12.19 cm×18.22 cm.The areas of the pedicled anterolateral thigh flaps were 7.12 cm×16.24 cm. The areas of the abdominal flaps were 13.20 cm×19.23 cm.The pedicles were separated 3 weeks after the repairing operation. Results All the flaps survived well and there was no vascular crisis, with the wound healing of the first intention. The skin defects of the hand were covered completely. Five patients were followed up for 6-12 months. The texture of the flaps was soft and the flaps had a good blood circulation. Of the patients, 3 underwent the finger exclusion and degreasing operation 47 months after operation. All the flaps of the hands had protective sensation, which could meet the requirement of the daily life. Conclusion The pedicled anterolateral thigh flap can provide the large coverage for the skin defects of the hands. The risk of the operation can be greatly decreased by obviation of the vessel anastomosis. It can be an optimal choice for themanagement of the oversized skin defects of the hands.
From the observation of 33 specimens of the lower extremities it was discovered that at a point where 15cm below the pubic tubercle, at the lateral or medial border of the sartorius muscle, the femoral artery gave rise a cutancous artery supplying the skin of the anteromiddle of the thigh. At the same area, the skin was innervated by the cutaneous branch of the femoral nerve. According to this anatomic peculiarity of the distribution of the artery and nerve, a skin flap having neurovascular bundle could be constructed from that area for distant transfer. From 1989, this technique had been done in 4 cases with satisfactory results. The related anatomy, operative design, surgical technique and the clinical results were detailed.
From 1988 through 1990, the free arteriolized venous network skin flap from dorsum of foot for skin defect of dorsum of hand was done in 8 cases. The size of the skin flap measured 10×9cm in max. and 7×6cm in min. The operation achieved good success and the clinical results were satisfactory. The mechanism of survival of the skin flap, the indications of this procedure in the repair of skin defects of the dorsum of the hand and its advantages were discussed.
From jan.1984 through dec.1991,65 cases of hand skin defects were primarily repaired by podicled groin flap. Four of the 65 cases had skin defects on both sides of the palms and dorsal aspot of the hands which were treated by the Y-shaped hypogastric groin flap .Five easec had thumb loss in which the lxdicled groin tubed flap was used to reconstruct the thumb.The time of division of the pedicles ranged from 14 to 28 days(averaged 16 days).All flape survived after division of the podicl...