Use of homodigital reverse island flaps for distal digital reconstruction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC. 2010;68:429-433. [PMID: 20154554 DOI: 10.1097/ta.0b013e3181a8b33d]

Repair of multiple hand defects with superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap

BACKGROUND

Reconstruction and repair of multiple defects in the hand is a combination of function, sensation and aesthetics. The reconstruction using the superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap has become popular, which overcomes the inherent shortcomings of traditional inguinal flaps by preserving the deep fascia. In this report, we present our experience in the design and clinical application of the superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap, which we used to repair multiple defects in the hand.

METHODS

From January 2015 to December 2020, 41 patients received free superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap to repair multiple hand defects. All flaps were carefully designed according to the hand defect including 21 single and 20 bilobed flaps. The area of ​​the donor area is 2.5 cm × 3.0cm∼8.0 cm × 6.5 cm. We followed up all patients regularly and completed standardized assessments of outcomes based on post-reconstruction hand function and esthetic scores.

RESULTS

41 cases of flaps survived completely.3 cases of vascular crisis was relieved after surgical exploration, 1 case of mild distal necrosis was healed after dressing change, 1 case of pigmentation happened. There were 41 patients, 27 males and 14 females, with an average age of 40.5 years (4 to 59 years old). The defects included 20 cases opisthenars and 21 cases palms. The wounds were irregular, with exposed or damaged tendons, nerves or bones. All flaps were followed for a mean of 10.5 months (3 to 15 months). The functional and esthetic outcomes were satisfactory for all flaps without complications such as hand spasms, adhesions and scar contractures CONCLUSION: The superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap's donor site was concealed, relatively stable perforators, easy dissection. Recipient site condition was good and acceptable for the patients. It is a significant choice for multiple hand defects.

Reverse digital artery island flap with versus without sensory nerve coaptation for finger pulp reconstruction

PURPOSE

Whether an innervated reverse digital artery island flap is superior to a non-innervated reverse digital artery island flap still remains controversial. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of the two flaps in repairing finger pulp soft tissue defects.

METHODS

Medical records of patients who underwent finger pulp reconstruction between January 2007 and December 2017 were evaluated retrospectively. A total of 45 patients were included. Twenty underwent sensory nerve reconstruction with cutaneous branches of the proper digital nerve, and 25 underwent the surgery without sensory nerve reconstruction. Surgical results, complications and sensory function were collected for analysis. Sensory function was assessed by static two-point discrimination and the modified sensory evaluation standard of British Medical Research Council.

RESULTS

The average operation time of innervated flaps was 23 min longer than non-innervated flaps. All 45 flaps survived completely. There was no significant difference in complications between groups. The average follow-up was 22 months. At the final follow-up, five non-innervated flaps had no recovery of static two-point discrimination. The average static two-point discrimination of the remaining 20 non-innervated flaps was larger than that of innervated flaps. Innervated flaps consistently achieved higher sensory function grades according to the modified sensory evaluation standard of British Medical Research Council.

CONCLUSION

An innervated reverse digital artery island flap can achieve better sensory function recovery in a shorter time. This procedure did not increase the incidence of complications, although it extended the operation time. It has proven to be a good technique for finger pulp reconstruction.

Cutaneous Perforators and Their Clinical Implications on Intrinsic Hand Flaps: A Systematic Review

Background:

Most hand flaps are local intrinsic flaps because hand perforators are small and fragile. The purpose of this review was to gather anatomical data on cutaneous perforators of the hand and their implications on intrinsic hand flaps.

Methods:

An electronic search was performed through PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, and CINAHL in April 2021. The search terms included “hand,” “palm,” “manus,” “cutaneous artery,” “angiosome,” and “perforasome.” Studies were filtered according to the PRISMA flow chart, and critically appraised using the Quality Appraisal for Cadaveric Studies (QUAC) and Appraisal Tool for Cross-sectional Studies (AXIS).

Results:

A total of 33 studies were included, of which 20 were pure anatomical studies, 10 combined anatomical and clinical studies, and three imaging-based clinical studies. A total of 643 hands and 406 fingers were included. The dorsal aspect of the hand, the dorsal digits, hypothenar, midpalm, thenar, and dorsal wrist consistently have adequate, closely distributed perforators of small diameters and short pedicle lengths. A series of clinical studies proved the success of elevating local perforator flaps on each of these areas.

Conclusions:

The hand contained densely interlinked cutaneous perforators of varying sizes and pedicle lengths. Although some areas of the hand are still unexplored, knowledge on cutaneous perforators of the hand allows the creation of a variety of possibilities for intrinsic hand flap designs.

One-stage coverage of multi-digital pulp defects with sensate flaps from the foot

BACKGROUND

The reconstruction of the digital pulp defects was a mix of the sensation, function, and aesthetics. As the conventional flaps became out of date, the sensate flaps were increasingly utilized in covering such defects. In this report, we present our experience with some novel flaps design, located on the foot.

METHOD

From April 2015 to September 2018, nine patients received the free sensate flaps to resurface soft tissue defects in the multi-digital pulps. And all flaps were harvested from each aspect of the foot, which dimensions were tailored to the defects. The cutaneous nerve was preserved within the flap. Standardized assessment of outcome in terms of sensory, functional, and esthetic scores of the reconstructed pulps was completed.

RESULTS

Nineteen flaps survived completely without significant complications, and mild venous congestion was observed in one flap. The free sensate flaps were performed for digital pulp reconstruction in 9 patients: 6 male and 3 female patients with a mean age of 49 years (ranged, 16 to 72 years). The defects involved 3 thumbs, 6 index fingers, 5 long fingers, 3 ring fingers, and 2 little fingers. All flaps were available for a mean follow-up of 30 months (ranged, 24 to 36 months). The functional and esthetic outcomes were satisfied for all flaps, as well as the sensory restoration.

CONCLUSION

The sensate flap from the foot is a remarkable alternative for digital pulp reconstruction with less morbidity and better outcomes. Furthermore, the foot region presents a sensitive, glabrous skin with the proper bulkiness and allows for easy dissection.

Supermicrosurgery in fingertip defects-split tibial flap of the second toe to reconstruct multiple fingertip defects: A case report

BACKGROUND

Injuries to multiple fingertips pose a significant treatment dilemma. Numerous reconstructive options exist, all with the ultimate goal of restoring function and sensibility to the injured fingertips.

CASE SUMMARY

A 24-year-old male suffered injury to multiple fingertips of the right hand, resulting in exposed distal phalanges of the middle, ring, and small fingers. The amputated distal stumps were not possible for replantation. Free flap coverage was selected in order to achieve better functional outcome. The fingertip defects were covered by performing a right second toe split tibial flap using local anesthesia at the harvest site and brachial plexus nerve block for the right upper extremity. At 6-month follow-up, all three of the reconstructed fingertips had some preserved nail growth, Semmes-Weinstein Monofilaments testing was equal to the contralateral side and the Static Two-Point Discrimination were comparable to the contralateral side.

CONCLUSION

This report provides a novel reconstructive option for the management of multiple fingertip injuries and demonstrates the utility of supermicrosurgery in management of these injuries.

Retrospective study to evaluate the treatment of digital pulp lesions using a homodigital flap

Objective

To assess the homodigital flap surgical procedure, as well as the function of the finger, pain, sensation, esthetics, and patient satisfaction.

Method

Retrospective analysis of records and questionnaires of patients who underwent this surgical technique between the months of May 2013 and October 2016. Eight were included in the study, with an average follow-up period of 23 months. Patients with digital pulp lesions of the thumbs and those who did not perform rehabilitation were excluded. All underwent the two-point discrimination test, the Semmes–Weinstein test, and range of motion evaluation. The age varied from 22 to 59 years (average of 32.9), six (75%) being male patients.

Results

Three patients (37.5%) had involvement of the right hand and five of the left (62.5%). Regarding the etiology, seven suffered injury and one a chemical burn. The average distance obtained from the two-point discrimination test was 7.3 mm. All patients who underwent the Semmes–Weinstein test obtained response to the purple filament. The average sum of the range of motion of the affected digit was 98.9%. The flap area was on average 294.4 mm². The return to work averaged seven weeks. A positive Tinel sign was found in the donating area and two reported intolerance to cold. Partial or total necrosis of the flap was not observed.

Conclusion

The homodigital flap technique presented satisfactory esthetics and functional results regarding feasibility, sensation, and digital mobility in pulp lesions.

Why borrow from Peter when Paul can afford it? Reverse homodigital artery flap for fingertip reconstruction

Background:

Fingertip injuries that are complicated by pulp loss, bone or tendon exposure will need a flap cover. Cross finger flap is commonly used to cover such defects. However, patients are apprehensive about injuring the uninjured finger as a donor site. Reverse homodigital artery flap (RHAF) can provide reliable vascularised cover to such defects.

Aims:

This study aims to assess the functional and aesthetic outcomes along with the patient satisfaction of RHAFs done for fingertip defects.

Materials and Methods:

RHAFs done in 18 patients operated between August 2015 and October 2016 were retrospectively analysed on flap survival, sensory recovery, range of movements, hypersensitivity, cold intolerance, flexion contracture and donor site morbidity.

Results:

Seventeen of the 18 flaps done survived completely. One flap had partial necrosis of 3 mm that healed conservatively. Middle finger of the right hand was the most commonly injured finger. Touch, pain and pressure sensations recovered in 8–12 weeks. Two-point discrimination was 4.5 mm at 6 months. The deficit of 5° s was present at distal interphalangeal joint during active flexion at 6 months. Cold intolerance and flexion contracture were not seen and 2 instances of hypersensitivity at 2 months got cured conservatively after 4 months. Overall satisfaction of patients was 8/10.

Conclusion:

RHAF provides single staged well-vascularised cover for fingertip injuries with good sensory recovery without damaging the adjacent uninjured finger. Hence, it can be a reliable flap for fingertip reconstruction in selected cases.

Postoperative voluminal flap reduction after fingertip reconstruction using the reverse digital artery island flap

A total of 16 fingers of 16 patients were subjected to fingertip reconstruction using the reverse digital artery island flap (RDAIF). We evaluated the influences of postoperative flap congestion, initial harvested flap size, patient's age and smoking habit on postoperative final flap size and postoperative range of total active motion (TAM) in affected fingers at a mean interval of 11.4 months. In the results, final flap size and TAM showed a tendency to decrease with increase in the initial harvested flap size and age. Eventually, the final flap size moved towards the size of the fingertip defect. Factors of flap congestion and smoking habit had little influence on the change in flap size and TAM. In conclusion, wide harvested flaps showed significant postoperative reduction in size compared with the small flaps, and extensive skin defect after flap harvest caused a decrease in postoperative TAM. Thus, the size of the harvested RDAIF should be comparable to that of the fingertip defect to prevent postoperative decrease in range of motion in affected fingers, and indication of this flap to the elderly needs to be considered.

Soft-tissue coverage of the hand: a case-based approach

Adequate soft-tissue coverage of the hand is paramount to achieve optimal aesthetic and functional results in patients with complex hand defects. In this article, the authors present four illustrative clinical cases and discuss potential reconstructive modalities. For each scenario, two surgical options are discussed: one established and one nontraditional method of reconstruction. The authors' preferred method and technical pearls for execution are presented.

The anterograde homodigital neurovascular island flap

The value of the human fingertip is incalculable. More than just aesthetic, the fingertip is an instrument through which we navigate our environment and acquire information. All too often, fingertip reconstruction is either not attempted or attempted without adhering to the fundamental principle of "replacing like with like." Through detailed description and case examples, this article highlights the power and utility of the anterograde homodigital neurovascular island flap in fingertip reconstruction. This single-stage flap can reliably resurface large soft tissue defects with sensate glabrous skin.

Aesthetic and functional reconstruction of fingertip and pulp defects with pivot flaps

PURPOSE

Sensate reconstruction with glabrous skin is essential for ideal resurfacing of fingertip and pulp defects. The purpose of this study was to examine the palmar pivot flap as a reconstructive option for fingertip and pulp defects.

METHODS

We used the palmar pivot flap to repair fingertip and pulp defects in 21 consecutive patients. Outcomes measured included range of motion of the distal interphalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints, sensation, pain, cold intolerance, and percussion tenderness. We assessed patient satisfaction with the aesthetic outcome using the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire.

RESULTS

All flaps survived. We achieved complete mobility at the distal interphalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints. Sensory recovery was demonstrated in all flaps within 2 weeks postoperatively. No painful tips were reported at an average follow-up of 11 months. All flaps had mild cold intolerance, and 1 patient reported mild percussion tenderness. All patients were satisfied with the appearance of the reconstructed fingertips.

CONCLUSIONS

The palmar pivot flap can provide sensate glabrous skin for the effective reconstruction of fingertip and pulp defects, resulting in aesthetically pleasing and good functional outcomes.

Research in orthopaedics from China has thrived over the last decade: a bibliometric analysis of publication activity

INTRODUCTION

Over the past decades, there have been great advances in orthopaedics in China. The purpose of this study was to investigate the orthopaedic research output in the three Chinese-speaking regions - the Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW).

HYPOTHESIS

We hypothesized that there was a positive trend in China orthopaedic research during the past decade and this regardless of the Chinese-speaking regions of origin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-nine orthopaedic journals were retrieved from the PubMed database and Science Citation Index Expanded. Articles from ML, TW, and HK in 2000 to 2009 were identified. The total number of articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), impact factors (IF), citations, and articles published in the top 10 orthopaedic journals were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 1878 published articles in 2000 to 2009 were broken down as follows: ML (607), TW (865), and HK (406). There was a significant increase in published articles for ML and TW from 2000 to 2009. The number of published articles from ML exceeded the total sum of articles from TW and HK in 2009. The accumulated IF of articles from TW (1751.91) was higher than that from ML (1054.67) and HK (708.25). TW had the highest average IF (2.025), followed by ML (1.902) and HK (1.862). The total citations of published articles in 2000 to 2009 from TW (4759) were higher than those for HK (2276) and ML (1751). The highest average citation of each article was from HK (5.784), followed by TW (5.720) and ML (3.051). TW published 339 articles in 10 high-impact journals, whereas ML and HK published 267 and 154 articles, respectively.

DISCUSSION

Chinese researchers in the field of orthopaedics have been more and more active in the global orthopaedic community during the past 10 years. ML seems to have caught up to HK and TW in respect to research output.