[Application of digital technology in superficial lateral sural artery perforator flap for tiny hand wounds...

To investigate the effectiveness of the digital technology in repairing tiny hand wounds with superficial lateral sural artery perforator flap.

Between August 2013 and October 2016, 10 cases of tiny hand wounds were treated with the superficial lateral sural artery perforator flap. There were 6 males and 4 females, aged 19 to 47 years (mean, 31.2 years). The causes included crushing injury by machine in 6 cases, traffic accident injury in 3 cases, and electric burning injury in 1 case. The location of the soft tissue defect was the first web in 2 cases, the thumb pulp in 3 cases, the index finger pulp in 1 case, the dorsal palms in 3 cases, and the dorsum of finger in 1 case. The time from injury to hospitalization was 4 hours to 10 days (mean, 3.5 days). The size of wound was from 4 cm×3 cm to 8 cm×7 cm. All defects were associated with exposure of tendon and bone. CT angiography (CTA) from aortaventralis to bilateral anterior and posterior tibial arteries was performed before operation, and the appropriate donor site as well as perforator was selected. Then the CTA data were imported into the Mimics15.0 software to reconstruct the three dimensional structure of the perforator artery, bone, and skin; according to flap size, the flap design and harvesting process were simulated. The flap was obtained on the basis of preoperative design during operation. The size of flaps varied from 5 cm×4 cm to 10 cm×8 cm. The donor site was sutured directly in 9 cases and repaired with skin grafting in 1 case.

Superficial medial sural artery peforator was cut in 3 patients whose superficial lateral sural artery was too narrow, and the flaps were obtained to repair defects smoothly in the others. Venous crisis occurred in 1 flap, which survived after exploration of the vessel, thrombus extraction, and thrombolysis; the other flaps survived successfully. All wounds and incisions healed by first intention. All cases were followed up 3-18 months (mean, 10 months). The flaps had good shape. At last follow-up, the results were excellent in 6 cases, good in 3 cases, and fair in 1 case according to total active motion (TAM).

The preoperative individualized design of the superficial lateral artery perforator flap can realize through CTA digital technology and Mimics15.0 software; it can reduce the operation risk and is one of better ways to repair the tiny hand wounds.