V-Y advancement flap coverage of toe-tip injuries

Toe-tip injury presents a challenging problem. There are few techniques that provide cover for distal toe defects, and most injuries are usually treated with terminalization or a skin graft. In patients with toe-tip injuries where there is preservation of the plantar toe pulp, V-Y flap advancement is a therapeutic option. In this article, we describe the surgical technique used and present the results of 10 patients with dorsal oblique or transverse toe injuries that underwent V-Y flap advancement for defect coverage. Eight patients had distal great toe injuries, 1 had a dorsal oblique amputation of the third toe, and 1 had a transverse amputation at the metatarsophalangeal joint level. Mean follow-up was 5 months, at which time all patients had returned to their previous activity level, and showed acceptable levels of scarring. The V-Y advancement flap, commonly used in fingertip injuries, when indicated and carefully performed gives excellent contour and padding, maintains toe length, and provides good cosmesis for treatment of toe amputations.

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