Objective To evaluate a modified anterolateral thigh fascial flap designed for the treatment of the soft tissue defects in the forearmsand hands. Methods From September 2000 to December 2003, a modified anterolateral thigh fascial flap combined with the intermediate split thickness skin graft was applied to the treatment of 13 patients with the soft tissue defects in the forearms or the hands. There were 8 males and 5 females, aged 19-43 years (average, 27.6 years). Three patients had a mangled injury, 4 had a belt injury, and 6 had a crush injury; 6 patients had their tissue defects on the palm side of the forearm, 6 had their tissue defects on the dorsal side of thehand, and 1 had the defect in the index finger (dorsal side of the hand). The tissue defects ranged in size from 17.5 cm×7.7 cm to 4.6 cm×3.4 cm.In addition, 4 of the patients had an accompanying fracture in the forearm or the hand,and the remaining 9 had an extenor tendon injury. All the patients underwent emergency debridement and reposition with an internal fixation for the fracture; 3-5 days after the repair of the injured nerves, muscle tendons and blood vessels, the tissue defects were repaired with the anterolateral thigh fascial flap combined with the intermediate split thickness skin graft. Results No vascular crisis developed after operation. All the flaps survived except one flap that developed a parial skin necrosis (2.0 cm ×1.0 cm) in the hand, but the skin survived after another skingrafting. The follow-up for 3-12 months revealed that all the flaps and skin grafts had a good appearance with no contracture of the skin. According to the evaluation criteria for the upper limbs recommended by the Hand Society of Chinese Medical Association, 9 patients had an excellent result, 2 had a good result, 1 had a fair result, and 1 had a poor result, with a good/excellence rate of 85%. Conclusion The modified anterolateral thigh fascial flap combined with the skin graft is one of the best methods for the treatment of the soft tissue defects in the forearms and the hands. This method has advantages of no requirement for a further flap reconstruction, no skin scar or contracture in the future, easy management for the donor site, and less wound formation.
Objective To investigate the outcome of repairing hand composite defects using pedicle osteocutaneous groin flap. Methods From February 1998 to May 2004, 33 cases of hand composite defects were repaired with pedicle osteocutaneous groin flap. There were 22 males and 11 females. The age was 19 to 54 years with an average of 243 years. The defect was caused by palmar penetrating injury in 17 cases, by dorsal hand crushing injury in 9 cases and by other injury in 7 cases. Twentythree cases complicated by metacarpal defect, 10 by phalanx defect. Thesize of skin defect was 3.5 cm×2.0 cm to 15.0 cm×10.0 cm, the size of bonedefect was 1.5 to 3.5 cm. After 3 to 7 days of primary debridement, defect was repaired by the pedicle osteocutaneous groin flap based on the superficial circumflex iliac vessels. The flap size was 4.0 cm×2.5 cm to 17.0 cm×11.0 cm. Results All the osteocutaneous flaps survived. During the 4 to 22 months follow-up postoperatively, thetexture, appearance and function of the flap were excellent and bone union was obtained in all cases after 7 to 9 weeks of operation.Conclusion The pedicle osteocutaneous groin flap is an ideal flap to repair the composite defect of the hand, with the benefit of simple procedure and reliable blood supply.
Objective To investigate the effect of combined types in treating cases with 2 to 5 tissues transplantation. Methods 305 cases treated from December 1989 to December 2002 were analyzed and summarized. 214 cases were constructed with 2 combined tissues transplantation, the combined types were:toe combined flap,the second toe at both sides transplanted,2 flaps combined transferred; 75 cases were constructed with 3 combined tissues transplantation,the combined types were:the second toe at both sides combined flap,2 flaps combined toe,3 flaps combined transferred;11 cases were constructed with 4 combined tissues transplantation, the combined typeswere:2 flaps combined 2 toes,1 toes combined 3 flaps,4 flaps combined transferred; 5 cases were constructed with 5 combined tissues transplantation, the combined type was:the wrap flap and the second toe with 1 vascular pedicle and another second toe combined bilateral femoris anterior flaps were transferred.The principles of repair were:the thumb was reconstructed first,the wrap round flap was used for the thumb’s skin,the second toe transplantation was used for the thumb defect.The opposite toe was transferred to finger to reconstruct the pinch function.1 or 2 flaps were selected for repair according to the area of damage. The anterolateral thigh flaps were used for the large areas and the lateral arm flaps were usedfor the small areas in selecting the donor area. Results Of the 722 tissues in 305 cases, 14 of them were necrosis, in which the toe were 6 and the flap were 8,and other transferred tissues all survived, the survival rate of tissue transplantation was 98.1%.251 cases were followed up for 1 year to7 years(2.6 years in average).All the patients could care themselves in daily life. The pinch and oppositionfunctions of the constructed thumbs and fingers were recovered,the two-point discrimination was 6 to 14 mm,but 2 cases recovered adduction function only because the thumb was 6 degree defect without the thenar muscle and did not fix the reconstructed thumb in opposite side in operation.All transplanted flaps recovered protecting sensory with S2,56 flaps required plastical operation because of their swelling appearance.The donor areas gained primary stage heal in 285 cases,20 cases gained secondary stage heal, in which part grafted skin necrosis in donor of wrap round flap were 12 cases,the distal of donor big toe necrosis were 2 cases and grafted skin necrosis in donorofanterolateral thigh flap were 8 cases and skin grafted were sucessful. Conclusion Different combined types can be used according to the traumatic situation. Surgical operation and early rehabilitation is conducive to the final function.Combined tissue transplantation is the best way to repair complicated hand injuries.
To meet the special need of function and cosmetics, thin skin flap was used in repair of skin defect of hand. It was reported that 37 cases with skin defect of hand had been treated since 1992. Eight kinds of flaps were used, including sub-abdominal flap (in 8 cases), paraumbilical flap (in 8 cases), intercostal flap (in 5 cases), subclavicular flap (in 3 cases), thoracoacromial flap (in 3 cases), trigonum clavopectoral flap (in 4 cases), thenal flap (in 2 cases) and pedicled flap carrying superficial iliac circumflex artery (in 4 cases). All of defects were treated by one-stage operation. The size of the flaps used ranged from the minimum of 1.2 cm x 2.5 cm to the maximum of 10 cm x 16 cm. All the flaps were survived. The function and appearance of the hands were satisfactory. It was noted that thin skin flap had developed from conventional pedicled flap and subcorium vascular-net flap, but it was easy to perform and had a high rate of success. The principle in choosing the flap was also discussed. It was suggested that more attention should be concentrated to solve the problems encountered in the use of thin skin flap in the repair of skin defect.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of free sensate intercostal artery perforator flap for the hand soft tissue reconstruction.MethodsBetween March 2010 and September 2015, 19 cases of hand soft tissue defect were repaired with free sensate intercostal artery perforator flap, including 16 males and 3 females, aged from 18 to 53 years, with an average of 35.2 years. The defect was located in the dorsum of the hand in 15 cases and in the palm in 4 cases. The causes of injury were traffic accident injury in 8 cases, hot crush injury in 5 cases, strangulation injury in 4 cases, and avulsion injury in 2 cases. All of them were full-thickness skin and soft tissue defects of hand with exposure of phalanges, tendons, blood vessels, and nerves. The size of defect was 10.0 cm×7.0 cm to 17.0 cm×8.0 cm. There were 12 cases of emergency operation and 7 cases of selective operation. The thickness of flap was 10-25 mm, and the size of the flap ranged from 10.0 cm×7.5 cm to 17.0 cm×8.0 cm. The vascular pedicle of the flap was anastomosed with the snuff nest branch of the radial artery (12 cases), the main radial artery (7 cases), and there accompanying vein, and the intercostal nerve cutaneous branch of the flap was anastomosed with the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm. The donor site was closed directly (14 cases) or repaired with medium thickness skin graft (5 cases).ResultsAll of the flaps and skin grafts survived; the wounds in the donor and recipient sites healed by first intention. All 19 patients were followed up 10- 18 months, with an average of 12.7 months. After operation, the appearance and function of the hand recovered well, and there was no flap bloated. The two-point discrimination of the flap was 7-11 mm, with an average of 8.8 mm. Only linear scars left in the patients with direct closure of the donor site. The sensory function of the donor site was not significantly affected, and the hand function recovered satisfactorily. Conclusion Free sensate intercostal artery perforator flap is a valuable and reliable technique for the hand soft tissue defect.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of free anterolateral thigh flap in repairing hand twist trauma combined with forearm main vascular injury.MethodsBetween February 2016 and March 2020, 14 patients with hand twist trauma combined with forearm main vascular injury were admitted. There were 10 males and 4 females. The mean age was 36.3 years (range, 22-53 years). There were 5 cases with left hand and 9 cases with right hand. The degloving injury of hand was rated as type ⅢA in 2 cases, type ⅢB in 9 cases, and type Ⅳ in 3 cases. The size of soft tissue defects range from 8.0 cm×4.5 cm to 13.5 cm×8.0 cm. Of all patients, 11 cases were ulnar artery injury and 3 cases were radial artery injury. Time from injury to operation was 2-16 hours (mean, 7.1 hours). The free anterolateral thigh flaps with the size of 10.0 cm×5.5 cm to 15.0 cm×9.5 cm were used to repair the soft tissue defects with the “T” shape anastomosis of blood vessel in 8 cases or direct anastomosis of blood vessel in 6 cases. The donor sites were directly sutured in 9 cases and repaired with free skin graft in 5 cases.ResultsAll patients were followed up 6-12 months (mean, 10.5 months). The vascular crisis occurred in 1 case and the flap survived with symptomatic treatment after operation. Other flaps survived and the wounds healed by first intention. All donor sites healed by first intention and the skin grafts survived. Three cases underwent the fat-free trimming at 4-5 months after operation. According to the evaluation standard of the upper limb part of the Chinese Medical Association, the hand function was evaluated as excellent in 4 cases, good in 7 cases, and fair in 3 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 78.6% at last follow-up.ConclusionBecause the diameter of the descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery is similar to that of the ulnar artery and radial artery, the use of free anterolateral thigh flap can not only repair the wound and obtain a good hand shape, but also repair blood vessels and promote recovery of hand function.