Selection of 4 kinds of neurocutaneous perforator flap with vascular anastomosis for repair of hand and foot wounds / 中华显微外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To compare the clinical effects of 4 kinds of neurocutaneous perforator flap with vascular anastomosis for repair of hand and foot wounds.Methods:From January, 2005 to September, 2019, 112 patients with hand and foot wounds were treated, there were 78 cases of fingers, 11 cases of first web, 5 cases of palm, 6 cases of hand and 12 cases of foot. The defect area was 2.0 cm×1.5 cm-21.0 cm×12.0 cm. All 112 cases were repaired by neurocutaneous perforator flaps anastomosed with blood vessels. Types of flap were applied Radial collateral artery perforator flap (with posterior cutaneous nerve of forearm) in 30 cases. The flap area was 5.0 cm×2.0 cm-13.0 cm×6.0 cm. Superficial peroneal artery flap (without superficial peroneal nerve) anastomosed with blood vessels in 15 cases. The flap area was 2.5 cm×2.0 cm-9.0 cm×6.0 cm. Lateral superficial sural artery perforator flap (with superior sural cutaneous nerve) in 26 cases. The flap area was 2.5 cm×1.8 cm-7.0 cm×5.0 cm. Peroneal artery perforator flap (with middle and lower sural nerve) in 41 cases. The flap was harvested with area of 2.5 cm×1.8 cm-23.0 cm ×14.0 cm to repair the wounds of feet, back of hands, first web, palm and fingers. CTA images were observed in 40 clinical patients, and the occurrence rate of radial collateral artery, superficial peroneal artery, superficial lateral sural artery, and peroneal artery were measured. Anastomosis cutaneous nerve in 97 cases, and no cutaneous nerve anastomosis 15 cases (superficial peroneal artery flap).Results:The peroneal artery perforator flap (41 cases) and radial collateral artery perforator flap (30 cases) were harvested. The incidence of perforator vessels was both 100%, and incidence of superficial sural artery was 80.8% (21/26 cases). In the other 19.2% (5/26 cases), the superficial medial sural artery was replaced by too thin vessels. The utilization rate of superficial peroneal artery was 60.0% (9/15 cases), the other 40.0% (6/15 cases) were converted to peroneal artery perforator flap. All flaps survived except 1 case of superficial perforator flap of lateral sural artery, which underwent necrosis at the distal end and healed after dressing change. One hundred and one cases were followed-up, including 90 cases for repairing soft tissue defects in hands and 11 cases in feet. The followed-up time ranged from 12 to 120 months, with an average of 36.6 months. There were 40 cases with excellent function, 45 cases with good function and 5 cases with fair function. There were 78 cases of cutaneous nerve anastomosis of hand flap, and the sensory function was above S 3 level. There were 12 cases without anastomosis of cutaneous nerve of hand flap, and the sensory function reached S 3 level in 3 cases and S 2 level in 9 cases. In 11 cases, the cutaneous nerve was anastomosed to repair the soft tissue defect of the foot, and the sensory function was above S 3 level. The radial collateral artery perforator flaps were relatively bulky and needed to be treated by fat removal. The other 3 kinds of three flaps were not bulky. Conclusion:The perforating vessels of peroneal artery and radial accessory artery have larger diameter and easy to harvest. The superficial peroneal artery and the lateral superficial sural artery are relatively small in caliber, especially the superficial peroneal artery. Among the 4 kinds of cutaneous nerve nutrient vascular flaps, the radial accessory artery perforator flap was the most bloated. Sensory nerve innervation flaps were found in the upper segment of lateral sural cutaneous nerve, posterior forearm cutaneous nerve and middle and lower segment of sural nerve. The superficial peroneal artery perforator flap was accompanied by superficial peroneal nerve that did not send cutaneous branches into the flap. The upper segment of superficial peroneal nerve was only a passing nerve.