[Repair the palmar soft tissue defect of the finger with cross-finger flap with cutaneous branch of the ulnar digital finger].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the clinical effect of cross-finger flap with cutaneous branch of the ulnar digital finger on repairing the palmar soft tissue defect of the finger.

METHODS: From October 1996 to June 2004, cross-finger flaps were used to repair the palmar soft tissue defect of the finger in 25 cases (32 fingers ) with tendon or bone exposed. There were 18 males and 7 females, and their ages ranged from 13 to 45 years. Among them, 6 cases were incised injury, 8 cases were impact and press injury, 11 cases were crush injury; and 2 cases were thumb, 8 cases were index, 5 cases were middle finger, 3 cases were ring finger, 2 cases were little finger, 2 cases were index and middle finger, 2 cases were middle and ring finger, and 1 cases were index, middle, ring and little finger. The time from injury to diagnosis was 30 min to 48 h, and the size of the tissue defect was 1.5 cm x 1.0 cm to 4.1 cm x 2.0 cm. All cases were treated with emergent operation, and the sense of the flap was recovered by anastomosing the cutaneous branch of the ulnar digital finger and the distal digital nerve of injured finger. The flap pedicle was dissected 3 weeks later.

RESULTS: Follow-up was conducted for 6 to 26 months and it showed that the cross-finger flaps all survived with full digital fingertip, satisfactory appearance, good function, and normal sense. The discrimination of two points was 5-8 mm.

CONCLUSION: As it is easy to operate and with satisfactory appearance and good function restoration, cross-finger flap with cutaneous branch of the ulnar digital finger is effective in repairing the palmar soft tissue defect of the finger.