Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of anterolateral thigh and groin conjoined flap in emergent repair of ultra-long complex tissue defects in forearm and hand. Methods Between February 2009 and October 2011, 6 patients with complex tissue defect of dorsal forearm and hand were in adminsion. There were 5 male and 1 female with an average age of 38.5 years (range, 32-47 years). Injury reasons included machine injury in 5 cases and traffic accident injury in 1 case. Injury to admission time was from 3 to 16 hours (mean, 6 hours). All case were single limb injury, including right forearm and hand injury in 4 cases and left forearm and hand injury in 2 cases. The wound area was from 36 cm × 9 cm to 48 cm × 12 cm. The type of associated injury included elbow dislocation associated with open injury in 2 cases; fractures of the radial, ulnar, and metacarpal bone in 4 cases; defects of wrist dorsal skin and extensor tendons of fingers and wrist in 5 cases; and defects of ulnar artery and ulnar nerve in 1 case. The anterolateral thigh and groin conjoined free flaps were used to repair defects in the forearm and hand in emergency. The area of flap was from 36 cm × 9 cm to 48 cm × 12 cm. Meanwhile the partial functional reconstruction was performed. The donor site was repaired by skin grafts. Results The anastomotic embolization of vascular pedicle and arteria interossea dorsalis occurred in 1 case, purulent secretion under the flap in 1 case, which were cured after symptomatic treatment; the skin flaps completely survived, and primary healing of the wounds were obtained in the other cases. The donor skin grafts survived in 2 cases, and partial necrosis of the skin graft of lower abdominal occurred in 4 cases, and healed after changing dressing. All of the 6 patients were followed up 3 to 18 months (mean, 10 months). The appearance and texture of the flaps were good. The protective sensation was recovered in 2 cases followed up for more than 14 months; no sensory recovery was observed in the other cases. At last follow-up, according to the upper extremity functional evaluation standard by Hand Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association, the results were excellent in 1 case, good in 4 cases, and poor in 1 case, and the excellent and good rate was 83.3%. Conclusion It could get a good short-term effectiveness to use the anterolateral thigh and groin conjoined flap for emergent repair of the ultra-long and complex tissue defects in forearm and hand.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of groin flap with external oblique aponeurosis in repair of tendon and skin defects of dorsal foot. Methods Between October 2016 and January 2020, 12 patients with compound tissue defects of the dorsal foot caused by trauma were treated. There were 9 males and 3 females, with a median age of 42 years (range, 32-65 years). The size of the skin defects ranged from 8 cm×5 cm to 12 cm×8 cm. All wounds were accompanied by extensor tendon injury, including 6 cases of extensor hallucis longus tendon defect, 5 cases of extensor digitalis longus tendon defect, and 3 cases of extensor digitalis longus tendon and extensor digitorum brevis defects. The interval between injury and admission was 1-6 hours (mean, 3 hours). After admission, the wounds were thoroughly debrided, and the groin flap with external oblique aponeurosis was used to repair the skin and tendon defects in the second stage. The size of skin flap ranged from 10 cm×6 cm to 13 cm×9 cm, and the size of the external oblique aponeurosis ranged from 5.5 cm×3.0 cm to 8.0 cm×5.0 cm. The wounds at donor sties were sutured directly. Results All flaps survived completely without significant complications. All incisions of the recipient and donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 16-24 months (mean, 18 months). The flaps were satisfactory in appearance and soft in texture. At last follow-up, 9 cases were excellent and 3 cases were good according to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal joint scale criteria. The toe function was satisfactory. The line scar was left without hernia or other morbidity on the donor site. Conclusion The groin flap with the external oblique aponeurosis can repair the tendon and skin defects of the dorsal foot, with concealed donor site, easy dissection and adjustable thinness, as well as the enough tough aponeurosis.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of groin flap combined with medial plantar artery perforator flap (MPAP) for degree Ⅲ-Ⅳ defects of multiple fingers. Methods Between January 2018 and June 2019, 12 patients with degree Ⅲ-Ⅳ defects of multiple fingers caused by crushing were admitted. There were 9 males and 3 females with a median age of 29 years (range, 16-42 years). The mean interval between the injury and admission was 3 hours (range, 1-9 hours). The injured fingers of 7 cases were index and middle fingers, 4 cases were middle and ring fingers, and 1 case was index, middle, and ring fingers. All fingers were taken thorough debridement and covered by the vacuum sealing drainage device during the emergency operation. The mean interval between the debridement and flap repairing was 18 hours (range, 12-36 hours). During the first-stage operation, the iliac bone graft was used to reconstruct bone frame, and the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint from the foot was transferred as the digital PIP joint, then the thin groin flap and MPAP were tailored to cover the dorsal and palmar defects, respectively. The size of the groin flap was 7.0 cm×4.5 cm-14.0 cm×9.0 cm, and the size of the MPAP was 8.0 cm×4.5 cm-14.0 cm×6.5 cm. The abdominal donor site was directly sutured, and the foot was repaired with full-thickness skin grafting. The flaps were separated into the finger shape at the second-stage. Results All the flaps survived, and the wounds healed by first intention; the incisions in the donor site healed by first intention, and the skin grafts survived completely. All patients were followed up 12-18 months (mean, 16 months). At last follow-up, the injured finger was similar to the contralateral one in terms of texture, appearance, and color. The mean two-point discrimination was 8 mm (range, 6-10 mm), and the sensate level recovered to the S3-S4. According to the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ), the reconstructed hand function was excellent in 8 cases and good in 4 cases. There was no complication in the donor sites. Conclusion The degree Ⅲ-Ⅳ defects of multiple fingers were repaired by the groin flap and MPAP, and the reconstructed fingers can perform good texture and motion with being sensate, with less sacrifice on the foot.