Preliminary report: the distally pedicled dorsoulnar forearm flap for hand reconstruction

In this paper, a new flap for the coverage of soft tissue defects in the hand is described. To obtain a distally pedicled dorsoulnar flap, the dissection of the standard dorsoulnar flap is continued distally under the descending branch of the dorsal branch of the ulnar artery onto the dorsum of the wrist after the dorsal branch of the ulnar artery is ligated and divided. Our modification of the standard dorsoulnar flap converts this flap to a distally based flap, which provides a potentially longer pedicle and increases the arc of rotation of the flap. Two successful cases are reported.