REVERSE DORSAL METACARPAL OSTEOCUTANEOUS FLAP

There are a number of possibilities for local and vascularized bone tr ansfer when a small amount of cortico-cancellous bone is required in t he hand and fingers. The authors describe the dissection technique and a clinical application of a reverse dorsal metacarpal osteocutaneous flap to reconstruct the proximal phalanx of a fifth finger. They empha sise the bone vascularisation, studied 48 hours postoperatively with a bone scan and confirmed with bone healing 4 weeks later. The advantag es are: it is a compound flap, easy to dissect under tourniquet in one operation, it can be done in an emergency care situation and it does not require ligation of an important vascular axis. The essential prec aution is to visualise the patency of the fourth dorsal metacarpal art ery before flap dissection, acknowledging that in only 63% of cases is there a vascular pattern that allows flap dissection with a long arc of rotation.