The groin flap in severe hand injuries

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Groin flaps are utilized for hand injury repair.
• Flap necrosis is a known complication.
• Previous studies report higher complication rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the incidence of groin flap necrosis in hand injury repair.
• To identify risk factors and preventative strategies for flap necrosis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 27 patients undergoing 28 groin flap repairs for hand injuries.
• Analysis of flap necrosis in relation to pedicle division timing and technique.
• Comparison of complication rates with previously reported data.

Main Results:

• Eighteen percent of patients experienced flap necrosis.
• Necrosis exclusively occurred after complete pedicle division (p<0.05).
• Staged pedicle division, including preliminary vessel ligation or partial flap division, prevented necrosis.

Conclusions:

• Total division of the groin flap pedicle is a significant risk factor for necrosis.
• Staged division of the pedicle is an effective strategy to reduce flap necrosis.
• This technique offers a lower complication rate compared to previous reports.