Reconstruction of Soft Tissue Defect of the Finger with Thenar Free Flap

Noh, Seung Man; Kim, Jin Soo; Lee, Dong Chul; Roh, Si Young; Yang, Jae Won

Abstract

PURPOSE: From May 2000 to January 2008, We experienced the 10 cases of the thenar free flap for the coverage of the large volar soft tissue defect in the finger.
METHODS
The pedicles of the flap were the superficial palmar artery of radial artery and subcutaneous vein, and we anastomosed them to the digital artery and subcutaneous vein of the finger.
RESULTS
The average size of the flaps was 12cm2 and it was large enough to cover the entire color soft tissue defect of a phalanx or the defect of the neighbored phalanges. All of donor wounds were closed primarily.
CONCLUSION
The color and skin texture of the flap was matched with the volar skin of the finger functionally and cosmetically and the debulking of the flap was not necessary. Other advantages were constant anatomic pedicle of the flap, minimal donor site morbidity, one operation field. We consider that the thenar free flap is another reliable and useful method for the reconstructing of the large volar defect of the finger especially at the situation of emergency.