M. Tezcan et al., A NEW FLAP FROM THE DORSUM OF THE FIRST INTERMETACARPAL AREA - THE FIRST DORSAL INTERMETACARPAL FLAP, Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 100(4), 1997, pp. 914-918
Soft-tissue reconstruction of the hand still remains a challenge for p
lastic and reconstructive surgeons. Several flaps have been described
to cover soft-tissue defects of the digits and the hand. In the first
web region, there are some communications between the intermediate art
ery arising from the dorsal blanch of tile radial artery and tile vola
r arteries of the thumb and the index finger. Depending on these commu
nications, a new distally based nap is raised fr om the first dorsal i
ntermetacarpal area. This flap has been used to cover various defects
of the thumb in four patients and tile distal radial side of the palma
r area in one patient. Donor sites have been closed primarily except i
n one patient. There were no complications, and the results show that
this flap is useful to cover soft-tissue defects of the thumb and prox
imal phalanx of the index finger as well as the radial side of the pal
mar and dorsal surfaces of the hand.