title: Innervated Digital Artery Perforator Propeller Flap for Reconstruction of Lateral Oblique Fingertip Defects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report our experience with the use of a digital artery perforator propeller flap based on a constant distal perforator in the middle phalanx for resurfacing of lateral oblique fingertip amputations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve fingertips in 10 patients underwent reconstruction, with a mean follow-up of 8 months (range, 8-12 mo). The size of the flaps ranged from 2.5 × 1.5 cm to 3.0 × 2.0 cm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All flaps survived entirely and restored a rounded fingertip contour. Mean static 2-point discrimination was 5 mm (range, 4-6 mm). With the exception of 1 patient with an amputation at the distal interphalangeal joint, the distal interphalangeal joint was preserved in all patients and had 30° to 60° of motion at final follow-up. No patients complained of cold intolerance or residual joint contracture. No hooked nail deformity occurred in patients who had remaining nailbed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The digital artery perforator propeller flap is particularly suited to coverage of a lateral oblique fingertip defect, because only a 90° rotation is required when inset, and the bulk of the flap serves to restore the rounded contour of the fingertip. The skin over the entire dorsal surface of the middle phalanx can be elevated as a flap, providing adequate tissue to resurface the defect and restore a rounded contour to the fingertip.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic IV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiao Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ming Yu
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jing Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Mi
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: ruiyj@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Yong Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Rui
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL. Electronic address: harveychim@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000673:Amputation, Traumatic; D005260:Female; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061525:Perforator Flap / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000294:innervation*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Fingertip injuries; dorsal digital artery flap; finger amputation; oblique fingertip injury; perforator flap