Abstract:

Objective　To report the clinical effects of the dissociative saphenous arteria flap on repairing hand and foot soft tissue defect.　Methods　From Feb. 2003 to Feb. 2009, 8 cases of hand skin soft tissue defect and 5 cases of foot skin soft tissue defect were treated with dissociative saphenous arteria flaps. All the 13 cases were accompanied with exposed tendons，bones and nerves, and the flap area was about 7cm×6cm～12cm×9cm，while achilles tendon defect appeared in one child patient. Donor areas of 2 cases were stitched up directly, however, donor areas of 11 cases were replanted with total pachydermia of hypogastrium. 　Results　The flaps of all 13 cases survived after surgery, and the wound of donor area healed primarily. Our follow-up lasted for 6~36 months, averagely 9 months. It showed that, the flaps survived well, with no swelling and distension. The sensory recovery reached about S2~S4. The loss of the function of hand and foot did not appeared for all cases. Linear scars on donor area can be found for 2 cases with direct stitches, with no hyperplasia or contracture, while, donor areas of 11 cases were soft and neat, without scar or contracture. Conclusions　The application of dissociative saphenous arteria flap in repairing and reconstructing of hand and foot soft tissue defect were with anatomical invariableness, with safe and convenient operation, and with the need of recovering the wound surface of hand and foot.

Key words: Surgical flap, Dissociative saphenous arteria, Hand, Foot,  , Injury repair