Arterial anatomy and clinical application of the dorsoulnar flap of the thumb

• Published in: The Journal of hand surgery (American ed.) Vol. 24; no. 4; p. 803
• Main Authors: Brunelli, F, Vigasio, A, Valenti, P, Brunelli, G R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 1999
• Subjects: Cadaver; Finger Injuries - surgery; Fingers - surgery; Humans; Surgical Flaps - blood supply; Thumb - blood supply; Thumb - surgery
• ISSN: 0363-5023
• DOI: 10.1053/jhsu.1999.0803

After injection of stained latex at the brachial artery, the arterial supply of the dorsal aspect of the thumb was studied by light microscopy in 25 cadavers. An artery, located on the dorsoulnar side and connecting the head of the first metacarpal with the dorsal arcade of the proximal nail fold, was found in all dissections. We report the results of the anatomic study and the clinical applications of a dorsoulnar skin flap that can be raised on its artery with a distal pedicle. Clinical experience is based on 32 flaps. In 25 cases this flap was used for distal skin loss coverage (palmar or dorsal) of the thumb as an island flap. In 7 cases it was used for reconstruction of the finger pulp (5 index and 2 middle fingers) in the form of a cross-finger flap.