Treatment of Soft Tissue Defect on Dorsum of hand by Using the Reverse Radial Forearm Flap: Report of 5 Cases

Kim, Ik Dong; Lee, Soo Young; Kim, Poong Taek; Park, Byung Chul; Choi, Young Wook; Jeong, Soon Taek

Abstract

Soft tissue defect on dorsum of hand requires immediate soft tissue cover to achieve early wound closure and to minimize wound infection and scarring. If the tendon or bone was exposed and the deep structures were absent, flap was required to provide adequate protection and allow proper function of the underlying structures. Small size in skin loss can easily be covered with local flaps but major defects involving the dorsal aspect of the hand should be coverd with distant flaps, free flaps or radial forearm flaps. Techniques in distant flaps require staged procedures and free flap transfer to obtain soft tissue cover in a single stage require microsurgical techniques. The reverse radial forearm flap is a fasciocutaneous flap based on the radial artery which together with its two venae comitantes lies invested in a condensation of the deep fascia known as the lateral intermuscular septum. The authors had treated 5 cases of distally based reverse forearm flap for soft tissue reconstruction on 2 patients of crushing injury with soft tissue defect on hand, a patient with Marjolin's ulcer on dorsum of hand due to previous burn scar and a patient with soft tissue necrosis on dorsum of both hands due to extravasation of adriamycin during chemotherapy. It has proved to be one of the saftest, simple and effective one-stage method of soft tissue reconstruction in hand without long term immobilization. The results of these operation in cover of soft tissue defect have been satisfactory.