Development of a cadaveric training model for pollicization of the index finger.

There are currently no surgical models for learning index finger pollicization. This led us to develop and evaluate a cadaveric model for index finger pollicization. Ten hands from fresh cadavers were used. In each case, we evaluated all the surgical steps, the appearance of the web space, the new thumb's position, and the model's advantages and disadvantages. Flap coverage was insufficient due to poor skin condition in 3 cases and the commissure was too short in 3 cases. The dissection and tendon transfer steps were performed correctly in 9 cases. In one case, the interosseous transfer was too proximal. The new thumb was positioned correctly in 6 cases, too proximally in 3 cases, and was insufficiently rotated in one case. Our model reproduces the haptic characteristics of the surgical procedure and is valuable for dissection and flap coverage training.