[Restore hand's function after electric injuries at the wrist by a free composite flap].

OBJECTIVE

To introduce a new free composite flap for the treatment of electric injuries of hands, which can repair the skin, blood vessels, tendons and nerves injuries in just one operation. It may improve the prognosis of electric hand injuries.

METHODS

5 patients with electric injuries at wrist were treated by the free composite flap. The procedure is followed: The composite flap was harvested from medial lateral crural skin flap. Its blood supply was from tibial posterior vessels. The perforans arteries to flap and the branches to plantaris were preserved, and the nerve suralis and tendon plantaris were compound into the flap by carefully dissection of crural fascia. At the same time, 3-4 tendons of extensor digitorum longus were inserted into the superficial crural fascia. Thus, blood vessels, nerves and tendons were combined into the flap before transplantation. The composite flap was then transplanted into the recipient site of the electric injuries of hand to repair the long defects of the skin, blood vessels,nerves and tendons in one operation. The evaluation methods of the prognosis are the follows: the active motion function of finger was assessed by flexion and extension function of the fingers. The sensibility function was tested by the standards recommended by British Medical Association.

RESULTS

The patients were followed up from 3 to 12 months. All the flaps were survived. Six months after operation, the flexion distance from tip to palmar crease and extension distance from tip to horizontal level of 3 patients were 4-5 cm and 3-4 cm respectively, and the other 2 patients were recovered from 6 cm and 5 cm to 4 cm and 4 cm respectively. The sensibility of finger skin reached to S2 level, and skin temperature rose.

CONCLUSION

The free medial lateral crural composite flap was an ideal one to cure electric injuries at wrist, for it repairs skin, nerves, vessels and tendons defects in just one operation.