Island Falp in the Hand

Yoo, Chong Il; Kim, Yong Jin; Kim, Hui Taeg; Suh, Kuen Tak; Suh, Jeung Tak

Abstract

Soft tissue reconstruction of the hand remains a challenge for the hand surgeon, who must choose whether to use a local flap, a distant flap or a free flap. Local flaps, derived from tissue immediately adjacent to the primary defect, are the first choice. But there is a shortage of skin in the hand and there are regions of the hand that should not be used as donor sites since cover of the resultant secondary defect with a skin graft would be inappropriate. We used island flaps for the small soft tissue defects in the hand which were difficult to cover with a conventional skin graft or local flap. The results were as follows; 1. The causes of the soft tissue defects were traumatic amputation in 4 cases, camptodactyly in 4 cases, replantation in 3 cases, infection in 3 cases and tumor in 1 case. 2. The sites of the soft tissue defects were thumb tip in 6 cases, fifth finger PIP joint volar aspect in 3 cases, index tip in 2 cases, thumb volar and dorsal surface in 2 cases, third and fourth MP joint dorsal surface in 1 case, fourth finger PIP joint volar aspect in 1 case and first interdigital web space in 1 case. 3. The donor flaps were fourth finger neurovascular island flap in 8 cases, reverse dorsal matacarpal flap in 5 cases and first dorsal metacarpal artery flap in 4 cases. 4. The sizes of the flap were from 1. 0Ã—1. 5cm to 2.0Ã—4.0cm and and average of 1.5Ã—2.0cm. 5. The flaps were survive completely with a touch sensat,ion except 2 cases which were covered by reverse 5th dorsal metacarpal flap.