Clinical application of fascial pedicle digital artery cutaneous branch chain flap of the same finger for repair of soft tissue defects of fingertip

Objective To analyze the surgical method and clinical efficacy of fascial pedicle digital artery cutaneous branch chain flap of the same finger in repairing soft tissue defects of fingertip. Methods From April 2016 to October 2018, 16 fingers of 16 patients with fingertip defects were treated. The defect area was 1.2 cm×1.8 cm to 2.3 cm×2.8 cm. All of them were repaired with fascial pedicle digital artery cutaneous branch chain flap. Results All the flaps survived after operation. And 1 of them developed swelling and blisters, and survived after lifting the affected limb and removing part of the suture. 15 cases obtained follow-up after operation and 1 case was lost. The follow-up time ranged from 6 to 24 months with an average of 14.5 months. The appearance, texture, elasticity and sensation of the flaps recovered well, with an average of 6.9 mm for two-point discrimination. TAM function was evaluated as excellent in 11 cases, good in 3 cases and fair in 1 case. Conclusion The repair of fingertip soft tissue defect with fascial pedicle digital artery cutaneous branch chain flap of the same finger does not require deliberate search for cutaneous branch vessels, which greatly shortens the operation time, simplifies the operation, has a high survival rate, good appearance, texture and elasticity of the flaps, and has a satisfactory curative effect. Key words: Finger injuries; Surgical flaps; Soft tissue defects; Fascial pedicle