Donor Defect Morbidity of Intrinsic Flaps in the Posttraumatized Hand

Area of Science:

• Hand surgery
• Plastic surgery
• Regenerative medicine

Background:

• Intrinsic flaps are crucial for hand wound reconstruction.
• Donor site outcomes are often overlooked in flap studies.
• Evaluating donor site morbidity is essential for patient well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare donor site morbidity of various intrinsic hand flaps.
• To identify flaps with superior aesthetic and functional donor site results.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for flap selection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 106 intrinsic flap procedures.
• Follow-up included questionnaires, DASH scores, and clinical examinations.
• Assessment of aesthetic outcome, sensation, pain, and functionality at donor sites.

Main Results:

• Primarily closed donor sites generally yielded better results than grafted sites.
• Homodigital island flaps had the highest patient satisfaction for aesthetics.
• Homodigital island flaps and DMCA flaps showed the best sensory and functional recovery.

Conclusions:

• Intrinsic flaps offer reliable coverage with generally low donor site morbidity.
• DMCA and homodigital island flaps present favorable donor site outcomes.
• Primary closure of donor sites is associated with improved results.