Abstract
Reconstruction of a hand with large soft-issue defects is a most challenging procedure. If the defect is too large to cover with local or island flaps, free flaps from distant parts of the body are required. Various free flaps have been introduced. Among them, the scapular free flap was one of the most popular in use for fasciocutaneous defect coverage, with the advantages of minimal donor deficit, an easier surgical procedure, and constant vascular pattern of the donor. Many surgeons who had experience with this flap pointed out the lack of a reliably sensible flap as the main shortcoming of the scapular free flap. If this lack could be addressed, the scapular free flap would be a good procedure in cases of heel- pad reconstruction and hand reconstruction, in which it is important to have skin with protective sensation. The authors investigated the sensory nerve of the scapular free flap and tried to evaluate the sensory scapular free flap in hand reconstruction.
Published Version
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