Comparison of reading man flap and skin grafting for closure of resultant donor defects in homodigital reverse flow flaps

Abstract

The reading man procedure is a valuable treatment option for circular defects of different parts of the body. The aim of this study was to compare reading man procedure and skin grafting for coverage of resultant donor defects in homodigital reverse flow flaps. From January 2018 to October 2020, 38 patients underwent fingertip reconstruction using homodigital reverse flow flaps. The donor sites were resurfaced with full-thickness skin grafts in 20 patients and with reading man flaps in 18 patients. Flap survival, postoperative complications, operative time for closure of donor site, return work time, range of motion of the injured fingers, static two-point discrimination, and aesthetic results were evaluated. All the outcomes, including flap survival, postoperative complications, operative time for closure of donor site, return work time, range of motion of the injured fingers, static two-point discrimination, and aesthetic results, were similar between the two groups. No patients complained of cold intolerance or hypersensitivity. The reading man flap is useful and reliable for covering resultant donor defects in homodigital reverse flow flaps. The functional and aesthetic outcomes in both groups are similar.