Repair of finger soft tissue defect with retrograde island flap of dorsal branch of the proper digital artery

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical outcomes of repairing finger soft tissue defects with retrograde island flap of dorsal branch of the proper digital artery.Methods From December 2008 to December 2010,25 cases of finger soft tissue defects were treated with retrograde island flap of dorsal branch of the proper digital artery.The axis blood vessel of the flap was the dorsal branch of the proper digital artery.The flap was designed on the dorsum of the proximal or middle phalanx.The flap was reversed to repair the distal finger soft tissue defect.The dorsal branch of the proper digital nerve was included in the flap and sutured with the nerve stump in the wound to restore sensation of the injured finger.Results All 25 flaps survived.The patients were follow-up for 6 to 18 months.The appearance,color,texture and sensation of the flaps were satisfactory.Two-point discrimination was 4 to 11 mm.Condusion Retrograde island flap pedicled on dorsal branch of the proper digital artery has a long vessel pedicle and large rotating arc.The surgical operation is simple and also restores sensation of the finger without sacrificing the proper digital artery and nerve.It is an ideal method for repairing finger soft tissue defects with a high success rate. Key words: Surgical flaps; Fingers; Proper digital artery; Soft tissue defect