title: Peninsular conchal axial flap to reconstruct the upper or middle third of the auricle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The reconstruction of partial amputations of the auricle is a continuous subject of publications, in particular, the techniques of ear reconstruction with postauricular flaps.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present in detail the surgical procedure of a new peninsular conchal transposition flap.
  
  
  METHODS
  This new conchal transposition flap has been used since 1998 to reconstruct seven partial amputations of the upper or middle third of the auricle. If we compare the flap to a tennis racket, the head corresponds to a skin-cartilage-skin flap harvested from the concha and the shaft to a post- and supra-auricular cutaneous and subcutaneous pedicle based around the posterior auricular artery and the superior auricular branch of the superficial temporal artery. The blood supply is reliable because the superior branch of the posterior auricular artery anastomoses with the superior auricular branch of the superficial temporal artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There have been no significant complications, except one case of partial rim necrosis, which responded well to wound healing by secondary intention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our peninsular flap could be an alternative to more complex procedures involving costal cartilage harvesting, provided that auricle amputations are confined to the upper or middle third of the peripheral structures and spare the concha.
authors.affiliation: Federation of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, CHU Poitiers, Poitiers, France. verone4@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dagregorio
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Darsonval
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004431:Ear, External / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply