Reconstruction of Soft Tissue of the Finger Using Heterodigital Reverse Island Flap

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Hand Surgery
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Reconstructing soft tissue defects in fingers presents significant challenges.
• The principle of

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the outcomes of a reverse flow type of heterodigital island flap for finger reconstruction.
• To assess the feasibility of using local tissue for finger defect repair, adhering to the "like for like" principle.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 32 patients who underwent finger reconstruction using heterodigital reverse island flaps between August 2014 and March 2017.
• Patient demographics included 25 males and 7 females with a mean age of 27.5 years.
• Defect sizes ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length and 1.0 to 2.1 cm in width.

Main Results:

• All 32 flaps survived successfully with intact viability.
• Excellent functional recovery was observed, with mean range of motion of 81.0° in the proximal interphalangeal joint and 71.2° in the distal interphalangeal joint after 1 year.
• Good to excellent sensory recovery (2-point discrimination of 5.3 mm) and acceptable pain (VAS 2.5) and scar (VSS 3.95 flap, 1.76 donor) scores were reported.

Conclusions:

• The heterodigital reverse island flap, utilizing a long vascular pedicle in a reverse pattern, is a feasible and effective option for finger soft tissue defect reconstruction.
• The technique provides satisfactory aesthetic and functional results, making it a valuable tool in hand surgery.