Modified Dufourmentel flap, easy to design and tailor to the defect.

Abstract

How to close skin defects is one of the most important considerations for skin surgeons. Rhomboid flaps are used for many types of skin defect. Such flaps, represented by the Limberg and Dufourmentel flaps, are widely used at any region of the body because they are composed of straight lines and are easy to draw. However, these valuable techniques have the disadvantage of being prone to dog-ears at a particular area of the flap. Therefore, our talented predecessors have modified these flaps in order to resolve the problems. The modified flaps they designed were difficult to draw because the modified designs were curvy and along esthetic lines. It is difficult for trainees to draw these flaps. To address this issue, we have developed newly modified rhomboid flaps that are based on the Dufourmentel flap. This flap is different from the Dufourmentel flap in omitting the top half of the diamond above the circle. Thus, the tension on the skin decreases and dog-ears are less likely to occur. In addition, our flaps are geometric and easily drawn even by novices. We believe our flap will be a promising option for closing skin defects at any site.