High-frequency color Doppler ultrasound assisted harvest of radial artery perforator-pedicled lateral forearm neurocutaneous vascular flap to repair soft tissue defect below the elbow
10.3760/cma.j.cn114453-20240506-00117
- VernacularTitle:高频彩色多普勒超声辅助桡动脉穿支蒂前臂外侧皮神经营养血管皮瓣修复肘部以远软组织缺损
- Author:
Haifeng WANG
1
;
Yihan ZHANG
;
Xinyang SUN
;
Hui WANG
;
Jiangping DAI
Author Information
1. 唐山市第二医院手外科，唐山 063000
- Keywords:
Surgical flaps;
Neurocutaneous vascular flap;
Radial artery perforator flap;
High-frequency color Doppler ultrasound;
Upper limb;
Soft tissue defect
- From:
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery
2024;40(9):963-969
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To explore the clinical effectiveness of high-frequency color Doppler ultrasound (HFCDU) assisted harvest of radial artery perforator-pedicled lateral forearm neurocutaneous vascular flap to repair soft tissue defect below the elbow.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of patients who underwent repair of soft tissue defects below the elbow using the radial artery perforator-pedicled lateral forearm neurocutaneous vascular flap at the Second Hospital of Tangshan from January 2016 to June 2021. Prior to the surgery, HFCDU was utilized to identify and measure the course of the lateral forearm cutaneous nerve and the perforating branch of the radial artery surrounding the wound. Subsequently, the flap rotation point, axis, and area were meticulously designed. During the surgical procedure, the skin flap was harvested either through a subcutaneous tunnel or by direct transfer, while the nerve stump at the defect site was anastomosed end-to-end with the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm contained in the skin flap. After reducing the wound at the donor site, it was either directly sutured or repaired using a medium-thick skin graft harvested from the thigh. After surgery, the survival of the skin flap, wound healing at the donor site, and the survival of the skin graft were observed. At the last follow-up, the static two-point discrimination of the flap was measured, and patient satisfaction with the appearance of the flap was assessed using the Michigan hand outcomes questionnaire(MHQ). This questionnaire categorized satisfaction into five levels: very dissatisfied (1 point), dissatisfied (2 points), fair (3 points), satisfied (4 points), and very satisfied (5 points). The scar condition of the donor site was evaluated according to the Vancouver scar scale (VSS), which scored from 0 to 15 points, with higher scores indicating more severe scarring. Descriptive analysis of the data was performed using SPSS 27.0 software.Results:A total of 33 patients were included in the study, comprising 20 males and 13 females, with an average age of (41.0±11.7) years (range, 23-65 years). The defect locations included 6 forearms, 9 wrists, and 18 hands, with all patients having exposed bones and (or) tendons. The defect area ranged from 3.0 cm × 2.5 cm to 12.0 cm × 5.0 cm. The detection result of cutaneous nerves and perforating blood vessels using HFCDU were consistent with the actual findings during surgery, showing no discrepancies. The area of the skin flaps ranged from 3.5 cm × 3.0 cm to 13.0 cm × 6.0 cm. All 33 skin flaps survived postoperatively, with good blood supply and no infections reported; the wounds at the donor site healed primarily, and all grafted skin survived. The duration of postoperative follow-up was (15.6±2.9) months (range, 10-24 months), and the patients’ static two-point discrimination of the flap was measured at (12.5±3.3) mm (range, 8-20 mm). The result of the MHQ indicated that 23 patients were very satisfied with the appearance of the flap (5 points), while 10 patients were satisfied (4 points). The VSS score for the donor site was (4.3±0.9) points (range, 3-6 points), indicating that the scar at the donor site was mild.Conclusion:HFCDU can accurately identify the lateral forearm cutaneous nerve and the perforating branch of the radial artery.The radial artery perforator-pedicled lateral forearm neurocutaneous vascular flap can provide a reliable blood supply, good appearance, sense and patient satisfaction, which is suitable for repairing soft tissue defects below the elbow.
