Patients receiving venous skin grafts having 3 different patterns of nutrient supply were introduced. It was considered that the venous skin graft had contain role in the repair of skin defects of fingers and dorsum of hands. The mechanism of the survival of the venous skin graft was discussed. It was assumed that, in the early stage, the skin nutrient was possibly in relation with the effusion or exudation from the wound surface, and in the later stage, depended upon the collateral circulation established with the surrounding tissues.
Objective
To explore the causes of vascular crisis after thumb and other finger reconstruction by toe-to-hand transfer and effective treatment methods so as to improve the survival rate of transplanted tissues.
Methods
Between February 2012 and October 2015, 59 cases of thumb and other finger defects were repaired with different hallux nail flaps with the same vascular pedicle flap to reconstruct thumb and other fingers and repair skin defect. The donor site was repaired by a perforator flap. A total of 197 free tissues were involved. There were 46 males and 13 females with the average age of 30.6 years (range, 18-42 years). Vascular crisis occurred in 21 free tissues (10.7%) of 17 patients, including 9 arterial crisis (4.6%) of 8 cases, and 12 venous crisis (6.1%) of 10 cases. Conservative treatment was performed first; in 8 free tissues of 7 cases after failure of conservative treatment, anastomotic thrombosis was found in 5 free tissues of 4 cases, twisted vascular pedicle in 1 free tissue of 1 case, surrounding hematoma in 1 free tissue of 1 case, and anastomotic thrombosis associated with hematoma in 1 free tissue of 1 case, which underwent clearing hematoma, resecting embolization, regulating vascular tension, re-anastomosis or vascular transplantation.
Results
In 8 cases of arterial crisis, 5 free tissues of 5 cases survived after conservative treatment; partial necrosis occurred in 1 free tissue (1 case) of 4 free tissues (3 cases) undergoing surgical exploration. In 10 cases of venous crisis, 1 free tissue necrosis and 1 free tissue partial necrosis occurred in 8 free tissues (6 cases) undergoing conservative treatment; partial necrosis occurred in 1 free tissue of 4 free tissues (4 cases) undergoing surgical exploration. Free flap and skin graft were performed on 2 free tissues of 4 cases having flap necrosis respectively.
Conclusion
Vascular crisis is complex and harmful to survival of transplanted tissue in reconstruction of the thumb and other fingers. Immediate intervention is helpful to obtain a higher survival rate.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of groin flap combined with medial plantar artery perforator flap (MPAP) for degree Ⅲ-Ⅳ defects of multiple fingers. Methods Between January 2018 and June 2019, 12 patients with degree Ⅲ-Ⅳ defects of multiple fingers caused by crushing were admitted. There were 9 males and 3 females with a median age of 29 years (range, 16-42 years). The mean interval between the injury and admission was 3 hours (range, 1-9 hours). The injured fingers of 7 cases were index and middle fingers, 4 cases were middle and ring fingers, and 1 case was index, middle, and ring fingers. All fingers were taken thorough debridement and covered by the vacuum sealing drainage device during the emergency operation. The mean interval between the debridement and flap repairing was 18 hours (range, 12-36 hours). During the first-stage operation, the iliac bone graft was used to reconstruct bone frame, and the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint from the foot was transferred as the digital PIP joint, then the thin groin flap and MPAP were tailored to cover the dorsal and palmar defects, respectively. The size of the groin flap was 7.0 cm×4.5 cm-14.0 cm×9.0 cm, and the size of the MPAP was 8.0 cm×4.5 cm-14.0 cm×6.5 cm. The abdominal donor site was directly sutured, and the foot was repaired with full-thickness skin grafting. The flaps were separated into the finger shape at the second-stage. Results All the flaps survived, and the wounds healed by first intention; the incisions in the donor site healed by first intention, and the skin grafts survived completely. All patients were followed up 12-18 months (mean, 16 months). At last follow-up, the injured finger was similar to the contralateral one in terms of texture, appearance, and color. The mean two-point discrimination was 8 mm (range, 6-10 mm), and the sensate level recovered to the S3-S4. According to the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ), the reconstructed hand function was excellent in 8 cases and good in 4 cases. There was no complication in the donor sites. Conclusion The degree Ⅲ-Ⅳ defects of multiple fingers were repaired by the groin flap and MPAP, and the reconstructed fingers can perform good texture and motion with being sensate, with less sacrifice on the foot.
ObjectiveTo investigate the application of the double skin paddle arterialized venous flaps for reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the middle and proximal parts of double fingers.
MethodBetween September 2011 and December 2014, 6 cases (12 fingers) of soft tissue defects in the middle and proximal parts of double fingers underwent reconstructive surgery with the double skin paddle arterialized venous flaps. There were 5 males and 1 female with an average age of 33.8 years (range, 19-52 years). The causes included cut injury in 4 cases and crush injury in 2 cases. Five index fingers, 3 middle fingers, 2 ring fingers, and 2 little fingers were involved. All defects located at proximal and middle fingers and defect did not exceed the distal interphalangeal joint. The defect area ranged from 2.5 cm×2.5 cm to 5.5 cm×4.0 cm. All cases had bone or tendon exposure, and 2 cases had phalangeal fracture. The disease duration was 1.5-7 hours (mean, 3.5 hours). The flap size was 8 cm×3 cm-14 cm×5 cm. The donor site was directly sutured (≤ 3.0 cm in width) or was repaired with skin graft (>3.0 cm in width).
ResultsThe operation time was 2.5-5.0 hours (mean, 4.0 hours). All flaps survived completely. Tensive blisters occurred in 4 cases and were improved at 1 week after removal of suture around pedicle. Partial distal flap necrosis was noted in 1 case, healing was obtained after secondary debridement; other wounds healed in one stage. The patients were followed up 6-18 months (mean, 13 months). The flap had good texture, elasticity, and appearance. According to the hand function evaluation criteria issued by the Chinese Hand Society, the results were excellent in 3 cases, good in 2 cases, and fair in 1 case at last follow-up. The two-point discrimination of the flap was 8-10 mm (mean, 9 mm).
ConclusionsThe double skin paddle arterialized venous flaps have the advantages of simple technique and definite effectiveness for reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the middle and proximal part of double fingers.
