Objective To investigate the effectiveness of heterodigital antegrade digital artery island flap innervated by proper digital nerve and the dorsal branch of proper digital nerve for repairing digital volar complex soft tissue defects. Methods Between May 2014 and January 2018, 27 patients with digital volar complex soft tissue defects were treated. There were 17 males and 10 females with an average age of 37 years (range, 18-60 years). The causes included electric saw injury in 8 cases, twisted injury in 12 cases, and heavy pound injury in 7 case. There were 9 thumbs, 5 index fingers, 6 middle fingers, 3 ring fingers, and 4 little fingers. The interval between injury and admission ranged from 1 to 4 hours (mean, 2.5 hours). The defect size ranged from 2.2 cm×1.4 cm to 3.8 cm×2.3 cm. The mean length of unilateral proper digital nerve defect was 2.9 cm (range, 2-4 cm). All defects were repaired with heterodigital antegrade digital artery island flap innervated by the proper digital nerve and the dorsal branch of the proper digital nerve. The proper digital nerve and the dorsal branch of the proper digital nerve in the flap were anastomosed with the proper digital nerve stumps in the wound. The flap size ranged from 2.4 cm×1.6 cm to 4.1 cm×2.6 cm. A segment of dorsal branch of the proper digital nerve was intercalated into the defect of the proper digital nerve in donor site. And the defect of donor site was repaired with the full-thickness skin graft. Results All flaps and skin grafts survived, and the wounds healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 12-24 months (mean, 17 months). The appearance, color, and texture of the flaps were similar to the surrounding tissue. There was no pain and double sensibility in any flap. At last follow-up, the static two-point discrimination of the flaps ranged from 4 to 8 mm (mean, 5.3 mm). And the two-point discrimination of digital pulps of recipient and donor fingers ranged from 4 to 10 mm with the average of 6.2 mm and 6.0 mm, respectively. According to the functional assessment criteria of the upper limb formulated by the Hand Surgery Society of the Chinese Medical Association, the results were excellent in 18 cases and good in 9 cases. No scar contracture was observed in donor site. Conclusion The heterodigital antegrade digital artery island flap innervated by the proper digital nerve and the dorsal branch of the proper digital nerve provides a safe and simple technique with minimal donor site cost and satisfactory effectiveness, which could be an ideal option for repairing digital volar defect, especially for the defect complicated with digital nerve defect.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the perforator-based propeller flaps (PPFs) based on digital artery (DA) and dorsal metacarpal artery (DMA) in repairing hand wounds. Methods The clinical data of 45 patients with hand wounds between January 2018 and March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 27 males and 18 females with an average age of 41.2 years (range, 14-72 years). The causes of injury included twist injury in 15 cases, crush injury in 19 cases, and cut injury in 11 cases. The injured parts included 32 cases of digits, 10 cases of dorsal hand, and 3 cases of palmar hand, all of which had tendon, joint, and bone exposure. The time from injury to operation ranged from 2 to 8 hours (mean, 4.3 hours). The wound sizes after debridement ranged from 1.8 cm×1.0 cm to 5.0 cm×3.5 cm. Twenty-eight cases were repaired by the PPFs based on DA and 17 cases were repaired by the PPFs based on DMA. The flap size ranged from 2.5 cm×1.1 cm to 8.5 cm×4.0 cm. The defects of the donor sites in 14 patients were closed directly and the defects in the left 31 patients were resurfaced with free full-thickness skin graft from the proximal medial forearm.Results All the flaps survived after operation. Two cases of the PPF based on DA and 1 case of the PPF based on DMA underwent partially blisters at the distal end and healed after dressing change. The incisions in the donor site healed by first intention and the skin grafts survived. All patients were followed up 10-33 months, with a mean of 15.4 months. At last follow-up, the static two-point discrimination of the PPFs based on DA and DMA were 4-14 mm and 8-20 mm with the averages of 8.1 mm and 13.3 mm, respectively. According to the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire, 20 patients were very satisfied with the appearance of the PPF based on DA and 8 patients were satisfied; 8 patients were very satisfied with the appearance of the PPF based on DMA and 9 patients were satisfied. Based on the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), the appearance scores of the donor site of the PPFs based on DA and DMA were 2-7 and 4-9, with the averages of 4.2 and 6.1, respectively. ConclusionThe two kinds of PPFs are reliable in blood supply and easy to harvest, which provide a good method for emergency repair of small and medium area wounds in the hand.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of Ilizarov technique in reconstruction of thumb function in patients with thumb degloving injury after amputation.MethodsBetween June 2011 and September 2016, 9 cases of thumb degloving injury were treated with amputation and Ilizarov technology. There were 8 males and 1 female with an age of 18-52 years (mean, 34.7 years). The amputation plane was the level of the metacarpophalangeal joint in 5 cases, the level of the proximal metacarpophalangeal joint in 2 cases, and the level of the base of the proximal phalanx in 2 cases (the length of proximal phalanx was less than 1 cm). After amputation, the affected finger was shorter than the healthy finger by 4.0-7.5 cm, with an average of 5.7 cm. On the fifth day after operation, the semi-loop external fixation extender was applied for extension, which was extended by 0.5 mm per day, and was extended once every 6 hours.ResultsAfter bone lengthening surgery, the first web space elevation and contracture occurred in 8 cases. Six of them were treated with the amputation of the inner muscle of the thumb and the "Z" forming technique, postoperative thumb function recovered well; the remaining 2 cases rejected plasty. All 9 patients were followed up 14-47 months, with an average of 33 months. Bone lengthening time was 64-122 days, with an average of 86 days. The lengthening length of bone was 3.0-5.9 cm, with an average of 4.1 cm, and the average lengthening length was 71.9% of the average shortened length. The fixation time of external fixator was 169-342 days, with an average of 231 days. The healing index was 43.2-59.1 days/cm, with an average of 53.4 days/cm. One case showed prolonged mineralization delay and recovered after "accordion" treatment. Bone healing was finally achieved in all patients, with the healing time ranging from 169 to 342 days, with an average of 231 days. No replantation internal fixation and flexion contracture occurred. The two-point discrimination of extended fingertip was similar to that of normal fingertip. The grip strength reached 53%-89% of the healthy side; the kneading force reached 59%-91% of the healthy side.ConclusionThe application of Ilizarov technology to extend the thumb metacarpal lengthening is a good method to reconstruction the thumb function after degloving injury.
ObjectiveTo discuss the effectiveness of femoral-femoral artery bypass grafting combined with transverse tibial bone transporting in treatment of lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) or combined with diabetic foot. MethodsBetween March 2014 and June 2016, 9 patients with lower extremity ASO or combined with diabetic feet were treated with femoral-femoral artery bypass grafting and transverse tibial bone transporting. All patients were male, aged from 63 to 82 years with an average of 74.2 years. The disease duration of ASO was 1.5-22.0 months (mean, 10.5 months). All cases were severe unilateral iliac arterial occlusion, including 5 cases of the left side and 4 cases of the right side. There were 7 cases with superficial femoral and/or infrapopliteal artery disease. There were 7 cases of ASO and 2 cases of ASO combined with diabetic foot (Wagner grade 4); all the ASO were grade Ⅳ according to Fontaine criteria. All patients had rest pain before operation, and the ankle brachial index was 0.24±0.12. In femoral-femoral artery bypass grafting operations, artificial blood vessels were used in 7 cases and autologous saphenous vein were used in the other 2 cases. The tibial bone transverse transporting began on the 8th day after operation by 1 mm per day and once per 6 hours; after transported for 2-3 weeks, it was moved back. The whole course of treatment was 10-14 weeks. ResultsThe incision of tibial bone transverse transporting was necrotic in 1 case, and healed after dressing change. There was no obvious complication at the orifice of the needle. The other patients had no incision complication. The granulation tissue of foot wound was growing quickly after tibial bone transverse transporting, and the wound was reduced after 2-3 weeks. All the 9 patients were followed up 12-32 months (mean, 19 months). The ankle brachial index was 0.67±0.09 at 2 months postoperatively, which was significantly higher than that before operation (t=17.510, P=0.032). All the feet ulcer wounds healed and the healing time was 6.7-9.4 weeks (mean, 7.7 weeks). During follow-up, color Doppler ultrasound or CT examination revealed grafted blood vessel patency. The external fixator was removed at 12-14 weeks after operation. One case died of sudden myocardial infarction at 14 months after operation, and there was no lymphatic leakage. The patency rate of femoral-femoral bypass was 100% at 1 year after operation. The tibial transverse bone grafting healed with tibia at 4-6 months after operation. At last follow-up, the effective rate was 100%. ConclusionFemoral-femoral artery bypass grafting combined with transverse tibial bone transporting is an effective method in the treatment of lower extremity ASO or combined with diabetic foot.
ObjectiveTo explore the vascular conditions and the necessity of vascular reconstruction in the treatment of chronic ischemic diseases of lower extremities with tibial transverse transport (TTT) from the perspective of vascular surgery.MethodsA clinical data of 59 patients with chronic ischemic disease of lower extremities treated by TTT between February 2014 and July 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, there were 41 patients with diabetic foot (DF), including Wagner grade 3-4, Texas grade 2-3, and stage B-D lesions; the disease duration ranged from 0.7 to 2.4 years, with an average of 1.5 years, and 5 cases complicated with arteriosclerosis obliteran (ASO). There were 14 patients with ASO (Fontaine stage Ⅳ and Rutherford stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ) with an average disease duration of 10.8 months (range, 1.5-23.4 months). There were 4 patients with thromboangiitis obliteran (TAO) with an average disease duration of 12.3 months (range, 2.1-18.2 months), and the clinical stages were all in the third stage. In 18 patients that ankle brachial index (ABI) of anterior or posterior tibial artery was less than 0.6 before operation, or the blood flow of the three branches of inferior anterior tibial artery did not reach the ankle by imaging examination, vascular reconstruction was performed before TTT (5 cases of DF combined with ASO, 12 of ASO, 1 of TAO). After operation, the effectiveness was evaluated by ulcer wound healing, skin temperature, pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score, ABI, and CT angiography (CTA) examination.ResultsThe patients with DF were followed up 8-16 months (mean, 12.2 months); the ulcer wounds healed with a healing time of 5.1-9.2 weeks (mean, 6.8 weeks); CTA examination showed that the branches of inferior anterior tibial artery were opened in 5 patients after revascularization; and the tibial osteotomy healed for 5-14 weeks (mean, 8.3 weeks). The patients with ASO were followed up 13-25 months (mean, 16.8 months); the ulcer wounds healed with a healing time of 6.2-9.7 weeks (mean, 7.4 weeks). CTA examination showed that the branches of inferior anterior tibial artery were opened in 12 patients after revascularization; all tibial osteotomy healed, and the healing time was 4.5-14.4 weeks (mean, 10.2 weeks). The patients with TAO were followed up 12-23 months with an average of 12.3 months, and toe/limb amputation was performed after ineffective treatment. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they were combined with revascularization or not. The ABI, VAS score, and skin temperature in the combined revascularization group significantly improved at 6 months after operation (P<0.05); while there was no significant difference in ABI at 6 months after operation in the TTT group (P>0.05), but the skin temperature and VAS scores significantly improved when compared with those before operation (P<0.05).ConclusionThe ABI of anterior or posterior tibial artery is more than 0.6, radiological examination shows that at least one of the three branches of inferior anterior tibial artery leads to ankle artery, which is a prerequisite for successful TTT in the treatment of chronic ischemic disease of lower extremities. DF is the indication of TTT. ASO can choose TTT, and TAO should use this technique cautiously.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of double osteotomy and lengthening of proximal phalanx and metacarpal with Ilizarov technique in treatment of thumb defect. MethodsBetween February 2017 and June 2019, 6 patients with traumatic thumb defects were treated with double osteotomy and lengthening of proximal phalanx and metacarpal by Ilizarov technique. There were 5 males and 1 female. The age ranged from 28 to 57 years, with an average of 41.5 years. There were 3 cases on the left side and 3 cases on the right side. All patients were admitted to the hospital in emergency department after injury, and the stump of the thumb was trimmed and sutured. The osteotomy plane was the distal part of the proximal phalanx in 4 cases and the interphalangeal joint in 2 cases. The interval between injury and osteotomy was 20-245 days (median, 34.5 days). After minimally invasive osteotomy and placement of a semi-circular external fixator, the lengthening began on the 5th day. The proximal phalanx and metacarpal were lengthened by 0.5 mm every day, once every 12 hours. The thumb of the affected side was distracted to the middle of the distal phalanx of the healthy thumb, and the fixator was removed after the bone healed. ResultsThe distraction time was 14-23 days, with an average of 18.8 days. The osteotomies were healed with healing time of 91-147 days (mean, 120.2 days). The total distraction length of the proximal phalanx and metacarpal was 1.40-2.25 cm, with an average of 1.86 cm; healing index was 51.0-72.2 days/cm, with an average of 64.9 days/cm. All patients were followed up 5-12 months (mean, 8.2 months). At last follow-up, the two-point discrimination was 5.3-8.5 mm with an average of 6.98 mm. According to the evaluation standard of the upper limb part of the Chinese Medical Association, the score was 10-14, with an average of 12.5. Among them, 4 cases were excellent and 2 cases were good, with an excellent and good rate of 100%. All patients were satisfied with the function and appearance of thumb after operation. The Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick-DASH) score was 2.3-9.1, with an average of 6.1. ConclusionThe double osteotomy and lengthening of proximal phalanx and metacarpal with Ilizarov technique is an effective method for the treatment of thumb defects.