Clinical application of thoracodorsal artery perforator flap in repair of serious scar contracture of opisthenar / 中国修复重建外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of thoracodorsal artery perforator (TDAP) flap for repairing serious scar contracture of the opisthenar. Methods: Between March 2015 and June 2017, 7 cases of serious scar contracture of opisthenar were repaired with TDAP flaps. There were 5 males and 2 females with an average age of 31 years (range, 11-48 years). The time from injury to operation was 8-67 months, with an average of 42 months. After the relocation of the joint and release of the scar, the size of soft tissue defect ranged from 5 cm×4 cm to 10 cm×8 cm. The size of TDAP flap ranged from 5.5 cm×5.0 cm to 10.5 cm×9.0 cm. Results: All flaps survived completely with primary healing at both donor site and recipient site. The flaps of 3 patients were bulky and underwent second-stage skin flap thinning at 3 months after operation. All 7 patients were followed up 6-32 months, with an average of 15 months. The skin flaps were soft and elastic. According to the upper limb function evaluation system recommended by Chinese Society of Hand Surgery, sensory function was classified as S3+ in 2 cases, S3+ in 1 case, S2+ in 3 cases, and S11+ in 1 case. The hand function was excellent in 2 cases, good in 4 cases, and fair in 1 case. There was no significant effect on shoulder movement. Conclusion: The TDAP flap is an ideal method for serious scar contracture of opisthenar.