ABSTRACT
Objective: to assess the outcome of dorsal metacarpal artery perforator flap for coverage of finger defects extending up to distal interphalangeal joint [DIPJ]
Study Design: case series
Place and Duration of Study: Jinnah Burn and Reconstructive Surgery Centre, Lahore, from March 2015 to May 2017
Methodology: our study was carried out in two parts. 1st part of study was to measure average flap length in our population. Five hundred cases were enrolled to measure flap length, from pivot point of the flap to the distal border of extensor retinaculum. This length was traced to fingers to determine its coverage area. This was followed by clinical study in 35 cases. All patients with wounds over dorsal surface of fingers up to distal interphalangeal joint and volar surface of fingers up to mid of middle phalanx, single or multiple finger defects with exposed tendon joints or bones were included in the study. Patients with history of trauma to the dorsum of hand, metacarpal head or neck fracture and patients with history of diabetes or peripheral vascular disease were excluded
Results: flap length decreased from radial to ulnar side of hand. Average length of flap based on the second metacarpal artery was 7cm while of the third was 6.6 cm and the fourth was 6.1 cm. This flap length covered up to mid of middle phalanx in border digits while up to PIPJ in central digits. This data was confirmed in 35 patients in whom 36 flaps were raised to cover finger defects. Thirty-four flaps survived completely while tip necrosis was seen in 2 cases
Conclusion: the dorsal metacarpal artery perforator flap is a thin, pliable flap, which has minimal donor-site morbidity. It can reliably cover soft tissue defects of dorsum of fingers up to mid of middle phalanx in border digits and up to PIPJ in central digits