THE LUMBRICAL MUSCLE FLAP - ANATOMIC STUDY AND CLINICAL-APPLICATION

This article describes the anatomy and clinical application of the lum brical muscle flap. Anatomic and radiologic studies were performed in 20 fresh human cadaver hands injected with latex-lead-oxide solution. Only the 2 radial lumbrical muscles were found suitable for flap trans position. The vascular supply of the first and second lumbrical muscle s is from branches originating in the superficial palmar arch and from the common palmar digital artery, respectively. The dominant branches invariably enter the muscle bellies al the junction of their proximal and middle thirds. Pedicled on these vessels, the lumbrical muscles c an be transposed to reach the entire palm, up to the wrist flexion cre ase. The clinical use of the first and second lumbrical muscle flaps i n 2 patients demonstrated the value of these flaps for coverage of the median nerve and its palmar branches. Copyright (C) 1998 by the Ameri can Society for Surgery of the Hand.