Radial forearm flaps for reconstruction in hand surgery.
Thirty-seven patients were treated using distally-based island radial forearm flaps. There were 31 men and six women. Reconstructed sites involved the dorsum of the hand (n = 17), the thumb (n = 11), the fingers (n = 5), the first web (n = 3), and the palm (n = 1). Sensory flaps were transferred in 15 cases, osteocutaneous flaps in six, and tendocutaneous flaps in eight. All the flaps survived. There were five donor-site complications, but no functional disturbances. Three patients had symptoms of cold intolerance. There were no radial fractures. In the six cases with osteocutaneous flaps, a mean of 2.6 months (range 2-3) was needed to obtain bony union. Among the eight cases with tendocutaneous flaps, postoperative tenolysis was required in two cases, and finally seven achieved a satisfactory outcome. The mean moving 2-point discrimination of the sensory flaps was 13 mm.
Yajima
Hiroshi
H
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.
Kobata
Yasunori
Y
Kawamura
Kenji
K
Shigematsu
Koji
K
Kawate
Kenji
K
Tamai
Susumu
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000294:innervation; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011884:Radius / Q000637:transplantation; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation; D016896:Treatment Outcome