title: Medial plantar flap to repair defects of palm volar skin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The methods of repairing defects in fingers, volar skin of the palm and soft tissue were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2010 to the present, we examined 12 cases in which medial plantar skin flaps were used to repair defects in the fingers and palm. According to skin and soft tissue defects in the fingers and palm, a flap was designed using the medial plantar artery as the vessel pedicle. The flap was dissected and isolated between the abductor hallucis and flexor digitorum brevis, and transplanted to the hand. We then observed the skin colour, skin texture and tactile sensitivity of the hand, as well as the shape and function of the foot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Follow-up for 3-28 months showed that the flaps survived in all 12 cases, with soft skin, healthy appearance, colour consistent with the palm skin and no pigmentation. The two-point discrimination was 5-7 mm. The donor foot functioned well, and the scar at the donor site was slight and had an aesthetic appearance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The free medial plantar flap is an ideal flap for repairing soft tissue defects in the palm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China, hqsw@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Q-S
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: H-Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X-W
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Z-W
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Z-B
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005528:Foot / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000637:transplantation*; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*; D014945:Wound Healing