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Objective:To compare the clinical effecacy of artificial dermal regeneration matrix (as "artificial dermis" hereafter) and flap transfer in the treatment of soft tissue defects around interphalangeal joint.Methods:Through postoperative follow-up at outpatient clinic, a retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of 60 patients who had soft tissue defects around the interphalangeal joints and received treatment in the Department of Hand Surgery, the Sixth Hospital of Ningbo from January 2018 to January 2022. According to applied surgical procedures, patients were divided into a flap transfer group (group A, n=30) and an artificial dermis group (group B, n=30). Group A included 19 males and 11 females aged 44.83 years ± 11.56 years including 5 patients with simple soft tissue defects, and 6 with soft tissue defects and fractures, 10 with soft tissue defects with tendon and (or) ligament injuries, 3 with soft tissue defects and vessel and (or) nerve injuries, and 6 with soft tissue defects and over 2 other types of compound injuries. The defect areas ranged from 2.5 cm×1.2 cm to 5.0 cm×1.6 cm. After emergency debridement and treatment for bone and tendon injuries, the patients in group A received transfers of free flap or transfers with adjacent digit flaps or island flaps. Postoperative functional exercise started from 1-6 weeks after surgery. Patients in group B included 17 males and 13 females, aged 44.70 years ± 11.20 years and there were 6 patients with simple soft tissue defects, 6 with soft tissue defects and fractures, 9 with soft tissue defects and tendon and (or) ligament injuries, 5 with soft tissue defects and vessel and (or) nerve injuries, and 4 with soft tissue defects and over 2 other types of compound injuries. The defect area ranged from 3.1 cm ×1.3 cm to 4.5 cm × 1.8 cm. Debridement and treatment of the bone and tendon injury in group B were the same as what in group A, but the patients in group B received artificial dermis coverage other than transfer of flap. After an artificial dermis had completely vascularised, a split-thickness skin graft was performed over the neo-dermis in the second phase surgery. Postoperative functional exercise started from 1-2 weeks after artificial dermis grafting surgery. The interval time of flap transfer or split-thickness skin grafting, survival rate of flap transfer or split-thickness skin grafting, Vancouver Scar Scale(VSS), TPD and total active movement(TAM) were compared between the 2 groups. The count data were analysed by Chi-square test. All measured data were analysed by independent sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test. P<0.05 indicates a statistically significant difference. Results:The interval time of flap transfer in group A and artificial dermis grafting in group B were 2.93 days ± 2.48 days and 19.87 days ± 3.35 days, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups( P<0.05). All patients were entered in postoperative outpatient follow-up for 11-14 months(12.00 months ± 0.93 months). The appearance of flaps of some patients in group A was bloated with slightly limited digit movement. In group B, the digit movement was normal, without obvious scar hyperplasia in both of the recipient and donor sites. The survival rate of flap transfer or artificial dermis graft, TPD, VSS score and TAM score for group A and group B were 96.00% ± 9.32% and 98.17% ± 3.07%, respectively, 8.67 mm ± 2.01 mm and 9.50 mm ± 1.81 mm, 3.40 ± 1.07 and 3.17 ± 0.91 and 18.30 ± 1.97 and 18.93 ± 1.64, respectively. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups( P>0.05). Conclusion:In comparison with the transfer of flap, an artificial dermis is also effective and satisfactory in the treatment of soft tissue defects around the interphalangeal joint. Further large scale and multi-centre investigations are required.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of free superficial circumflex iliac artery flap combined with anterolateral thigh flap in repairing large skin defect of the hand.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 9 patients with large skin defect of the hand admitted to Ningbo No.6 Hospital from January 2016 to December 2019，including 7 males and 2 females，aged 31-63 years［（45.3±5.6）years］. The area of skin defect reanged from 20 cm×15 cm to 25 cm×20 cm. One side of the superficial circumflex iliac artery flap and the contralateral anterolateral thigh flap were used for repair. Both recipient and donor sites were sutured at the first stage. The ilioinguinal region and thigh donor region were sutured directly. The area of superficial circumflex iliac artery flap was from 19 cm×6 cm to 23 cm ×10 cm and that of anterolateral thigh flap was 19 cm×9 cm to 23 cm×8 cm. The flap survival，healing of donor and recipient area and complications were observed. At 1，6 and 12 months after operation，the function of the flap was evaluated by the late functional evaluation criteria of the flap，hand function by the upper limb functional evaluation criteria of the Chinese Medical Association，and scar condition of the donor site by Vancouver Scar Scale（VVS）. At the last follow-up，the color，elasticity，appearance and scar of the donor site were observed.Results:All patients were followed up for 6-18 months［（12.5±2.3）months］. All flaps survived successfully. All patients achieved donor-site healing at the first stage，except that one patient experienced incision dehiscence in the thigh donor site after operation and healed after the second stage suture. The texture and appearance of the flaps were good. The flap in 5 patients was obviously bloated. Therefore，the secondary skin flap repair was selected，and the appearance was significantly improved after operation. Scores for function of the flap and the hand were improved over time（ P<0.05）. At 12 months after operation，the function of the flap was excellent in 3 patients，good in 4 and fair in 2，with the excellent and good rate of 78%；the result of hand function was excellent in 3 patients，good in 3 and fair in 3，with the excellent and good rate of 67%. The VVS score of the donor site decreased from（9.7±1.3）points at postoperative 1 month to（5.7±0.9）points at postoperative 6 months and（3.4±0.8）points at postoperative 12 months（ P<0.05）. At the latest follow-up，the color and elasticity of the flap was similar to that of the surrounding skin tissue，only with slight bloating；the scar of the donor site was small. Conclusions:The free superficial circumflex iliac artery flap combined with anterolateral thigh flap can cover large skin defect of the hand at one time，with good appearance and texture of the flap. The appearance and function of the wounded hand are good after operation，leaving only linear scar in the donor site.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical application and effect of end-to-side anastomosis in personalised free ilioinguinal flap transfer.Methods:From March, 2015 to July, 2020, 88 patients with soft tissue (bone) defect of limbs were treated. Different ilioinguinal flaps were designed according to the wound condition of patients, which were 48 cases of free superficial circumflex iliacartery perforator flap, 7 cases of free superficial epigastric artery perforator flap, 19 cases of composite tissue flap with iliac bone, 8 cases of combined flap of superficial circumflex iliac artery and superficial abdominal wall artery, and 6 cases of superficial circumflex iliac artery and superficial abdominal wall artery lobulated flap. The area of the flap was 4.0 cm×6.0 cm-10.0 cm×30.0 cm. The artery and recipient artery were anastomosed end-to-side: 36 cases to radial artery; 12 cases to ulnar artery; 18 cases to dorsalis pedis artery; 15 cases to anterior tibial artery; 7 cases to posterior tibial artery. Venous anastomosis of skin flap: 42 cases were anastomosed with 2 veins, which were superficial vein of the same name and accompanying vein; 46 cases were anastomosed with 1 superficial vein of the same name. The accompanying vein of the flap was anastomosed end-to-side with the accompanying vein of the main artery of the recipient area, and the superficial vein of the same name was anastomosed end-to-end with the accompanying vein or subcutaneous superficial vein of the recipient artery. Follow-up includes flap blood supply, blood supply to the distal limbs, appearance of both the donor site and the recipient area, and patient satisfaction.Results:There were 83 cases of flaps survived successfully, and 5 cases of crisis. Among them, 2 cases had artery crisis at 48 h after surgery. After exploration, it was found that 1 case caused by arterial thrombosis, and 1 case compressed by the stapler that anastomoses the vein. The other 3 cases had venous crisis at 72 h after surgery: after exploration, it was found that caused by thrombosis at the venous anastomotic site. The average follow-up period was 10 (range, 3-24) months. All flaps survived after re anastomosis or vascular transposition. The donor site and recipient site of the flap healed well. The blood supply of the flap was good and the texture was soft. There was no blood supply disorder in the distal limb.Conclusion:The end-to-side anastomosis technique is suitable for all kinds of free flap transplantation in ilioinguinal region, with high vascular patency rate. It can not only solve the problem of thin vascular pedicle of donor site flap, but also retain the main artery of recipient limb without affecting the distal blood supply.