Related Experiment Videos
The distally based forearm island flap in hand reconstruction
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
|August 14, 1998
Summary
The distally based forearm island flap offers a reliable solution for hand soft-tissue defects. This versatile flap provides constant blood supply without sacrificing the radial artery, simplifying reconstruction.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Reconstructive Surgery
Background:
- Soft-tissue defects in the hand require reliable reconstructive methods.
- The distally based forearm island flap utilizes perforators from the distal radial artery.
Observation:
- Twelve patients with hand soft-tissue defects were treated with 12 forearm island flaps.
- Flap applications included dorsal hands, thumbs, forearms, and palmar areas.
- Donor tissue variants included skin, adipofascial, and sensate flaps.
Findings:
- The flap ensures a constant, reliable blood supply without compromising the main radial artery.
- Elevation is simple and rapid, with primary donor site closure possible in some cases.
- Sensate flaps, innervated by the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve, enabled sensation for thumb reconstruction.
Implications:
- This flap presents a valuable, non-microsurgical option for hand reconstruction.
- Its versatility and reliable vascularity make it suitable for various soft-tissue defects.
- Potential for use as an innervated flap enhances reconstructive possibilities.