Forearm skin flap with dorsal interosseous artery transplanted in reversal position to repair the skin and soft tissue defect of palm and thumb

Abstract

Objective To summarize the method of forearm skin flap with dorsal interosseous artery placed by turning the proximal end of the flap to the distal side of the wound to repair skin and soft tissue defect of palm and thumb of hand,and put forward the key points of operation.Methods From 2008 to 2013,the forearm skin flap with interosseous dorsal artery to repair skin and soft tissue defect of palm and the part between thumb and index finger in 20 cases.Dorsal interosseous artery in the forearm is passing through between superficial and deep layers of extensor muscles and sends out 5-13 cutaneous branches to dorsal antebrachium skin.The large skin flap has good blood supply with high survival rate.Results All flaps survived,and good results were achieved in all 20 cases.Conclusion The flap preserved two main arteries from upper limb with good blood supply,and the amount of blood supply of the flap depended on the size of flap,and the wound of donor site can be directly sutured up or covered with free skin graft,thus minimizing the alteration of appearance and function of donor area. Key words: Dorsal interosseous artery; Skin flap; Rehabilitate; Retrograde; Hand wound; Parenchyma; Tissue defect