Reversed Osteocutaneous Radial Forearm Island Flap for Crushing Injury and Open Fracture of the Thumb in Hand

Abstract

Purpose: To report the outcome of a reversed osteocutaneous radial forearm flap for a thumb re-construction. Materials and Methods: Five patients who underwent a reversed osteocutaneous radial forearm island flap for a thumb reconstruction between 2001 and 2005 were reviewed retrospectively. They were all males with a mean age at the time of surgery of 45 years. The types of thumb defects, size of the flap, length of the radius harvested, time to union, the range of motion of the thumb, grip and pinch strengths, and complications were analyzed. Results: The mean size of the transferred radial forearm flap was 58.4 . The mean length of the harvested radius was 4.4 cm. All flaps survived completely. The mean interval required to obtain bone union was 2.8 months. The mean ROM of the thumb was . The postoperative mean grip strength was 94 lbs and the mean pinch power was 14.6 lbs. Mean moving two-point discrimination on the flap was 13 mm. There were no complications. All 5 patients were satisfied with the reconstructed new thumb. Conclusion: A reversed osteocutaneous radial forearm island flap is a useful procedure for recon-structing of a combined defect of the thumb.