Neurovascular Island Graft for Finger Tip Loss

Yoo, Myung Chul; Ahn, Jin Hwan; Chung, Duke Whan; Kim, Byung Ho; Oh, Dong Chul

Abstract

The skin defect with sensory impairment of volar aspect of fingers should be reconstructed for the better function of hand. The Neurovascular island graft has been used to provide sensation to volar surface the thumb and to replace pulp tissues avulsed from thumb or index finger. Authors performed neurovascular island graft for defective sensibility of finger tip loss in 14 cases since Jun. 1979 to Mar. 1985. The donor flaps were obtained from the ring finger in 9 cases and middle finger in 5 cases. Among 14 cases, the donor flaps were taken from the ulnar side of 3rd and 4th finger in 11 cases. We followed up the the patients from 7 months to 4 years and 6months and in last follow-up, recovery of protective sensation such as sharp/blunt discrimination, temperature discrimination, and touch/stroke discrimination, was good but two point discrimination and reorientation of sensa-tion were poor. Cold intolerance was developed in 11 cases, and longitudial linear scar band of donor digit was demonstrated in 12 cases.