• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2012

Purpose: Arterialized venous flap is useful for reconstruction of the traumatic soft tissue defect in fingers, but insufficient circulation of the traumatic fingers makes surgeons annoying to use the flap. We have grafted flaps in 7 fingers with insufficient vascular bed hoping to expanded the category of the flap. Materials and Methods: Arterialized venous flap have transplanted in 7 fingers from March 2008 through February 2010 and followed up for 4 to 16 months(average 7.2 months). They were all male with a mean age at the time of surgery was 33. The main injury was crushing in 4 degloving, contact burn and saw injury was I respectively. Time interval from injury to flap transplantation was average 3.1. weeks(3 days to 6 weeks). Designed flap size ranges from $8cm{\times}3.5cm$to $4cm{\times}3cm$. Vessel type of flap was one artery with two veins were 5 cases and one artey with one vein 2. Flap type was cutaneous in 3, tendocutaneous 2, neurotendocutaneous 1 and neurocutaneous 1. The circulation state of recipient site was avascular in 2 cases, insufficiency 3 and tip avascular 2. Results: Arterialized venous flap was complete survived in 2 cases, partial necrosis(less than 10%) 3 and failed in 2. Conclusion: An arterialized venous free flap could be a useful procedure for reconstruction in soft tissue or combined defect of the finger despite an avascular or insufficient vascular beds if the recipient beds were free from infection.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2012

Purpose: This report presents the authors' experience of twelve patients with sural artery flap for soft tissue defects around the knee joint. Materials and Methods: The patients' age ranged from 25 to 80 years; seven of the patients were male and five were female. The cause of soft-tissue defects involved wide excision for malignant soft tissue tumor, tumor prosthesis related infection, infection after total knee arthroplasty and chronic osteomyelitis. Postoperative range of motion was checked. The sensibility of flap was evaluated by Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments and two-point discrimination. Results: All flaps survived and provided satisfactory coverage of the defect. There was no complication except one delayed skin graft incorporation at donor site. Seven knee joints which had been stiff previously gained average 58 degrees of ROM postoperatively. All flaps retained sensibility and showed no significant increase in sensory thresholds comparing with contralateral side. Conclusion: Sural artery flap not only shows high survival rate and broad coverage ability, but also offers improvement in range of motion and preservation of sensation. We speculate that sural artery flap is valuable for the reconstruction of the soft tissue defects around knee joint.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2012

Purpose: Saturday night palsy is a transient form of nerve palsy that occurs after a prolonged period of direct pressure on the course of radial nerve by one's own or spouse's head. Although commonly encountered, there have been only few studies concerning its convalescence. The purpose of this study is to predict the prognosis of Saturday night palsy based on the causes, time to recovery and degree of recovery. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of 20 patients who were diagnosed compression radial nerve palsy was performed. The average age was 36.7 years old and the mean follow-up period was 19.6 months. We investigated sleeping hours as an indirect measure of nerve compression time, recovery of wrist and finger extension, DASH score on the monthly based follow up. Results: The mean sleeping hours was 5.8 hours and all patients showed full recovery of wrist and fingers extension with the mean duration of symptom for 3.2 months. DASH score was an average 1.53 at the last follow up and we found no statistical significance between the time to recovery and the sleeping hours. Conclusion: Complete natural recovery can be expected in compression radial nerve palsy in this study without correlation with sleeping time. Accurate diagnosis is important in order to avoid unnecessary therapeutic intervention and further study should be accomplished for clarifying the related prognostic factors in larger scale of the cases.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.246-249
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• 1998

With the recent progress of microsurgical techniques, radial forearm free flap has an established place in oral reconstruction. Providing thin, soft and pliable skin with a large and constant vascular pedicle, this flap is optimal for intraoral reconstruction. One of the disadvantages of the flap is donor site morbidity, therefore various methods can be used to reduce it. A male complained of palatal and retromolar area mass with ulceration, which was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. He also complained of discomfort and mouth opening limitation, attributed to the location and characteristics of the mass. Because of mouth opening limitation, mandibular swing approach was performed to allow for the surgical approach to the mass. After the surgical excison of the lesion, the intraoral defect was successfully reconstructed with radial forearm free flap.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.56-61
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• 2015

Purpose: We report on the clinical result after coverage of a soft tissue defect on the medial foot and ankle with an adipofascial flap based on the perforator from the posterior tibia artery. Materials and Methods: Nine patients with soft tissue defects on the medial foot and ankle area from March 2009 to May 2014 underwent the procedure. Average age was 54 years old (range, 8~82 years). There were five male patients and four female patients. The causes of the defect were trauma (4), tumor (3), and infection (2). The pivot point of transposition of this flap is the lower perforator originating from the posterior tibia artery. The fatty tissue side of this flap could be used to resurface the defect. The donor site was closed primarily with the preserved skin, and a small caliber drain tube was used. The split-thickness skin graft was grafted to the flap and the wound. If the wound was still infected, this skin graft could be performed at a later date. Results: All flaps survived and normal soft tissue coverage was obtained for the medial foot and ankle of all patients after the skin graft. Normal footwear was possible for all cases because of thin coverage. There was an extension contracture on the medial ray of the foot, which was resolved by contracture release and skin graft. Conclusion: For the medial foot and ankle soft tissue defect, the medial crural adipofascial flap based on a perforator branch of the posterior tibia artery could be a good option to cover it.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.62-67
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• 2015

Purpose: Pollicization typically involves surgical migration of the index finger to the position of the thumb. This procedure facilitates the conversion of a useless hand into a well-functioning one in patients who are not amenable to the toe-to-hand transfer. However, middle finger pollicization has been rarely reported. Materials and Methods: We reconstructed a thumb by immediate pollicization of the remnants of the middle finger in two patients who sustained a tumor and a trauma, respectively. The former, after cancer ablation was performed, has not been reported literally, and the latter involved free devitalized pollicization of the middle finger using a microsurgical anastomosis. The distal third extensor communis tendon was sutured to the proximal extensor pollicis longus tendon and the distal flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus were sutured to the proximal flexor pollicis longus. The abductor pollicis brevis tendon was sutured to the distal end of the first palmar interosseous muscle. Coaptation of the third digital nerve and the superficial radial nerve branch was performed. Results: Patients showed uneventful postoperative courses without complication such as infection or finger necrosis. Based on the principles of pollicization, a wide range of pinch and grasp movements was successfully restored. They were pleased with the functional and cosmetic results. Conclusion: Although the index finger has been the digit of choice for pollicization, we could also use the middle finger on specific occasions. This procedure provides an excellent option for the reconstruction of a mutilated thumb and could be performed advantageously in a single step.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.75-78
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• 2015

High-pressure (HP) injection injury to the upper extremity often causes a very serious clinical problem, leading to poor outcomes, including amputation, so that a true surgical emergency is required. The outcomes can be improved with emergent wide surgical debridement. However the diagnosis of these injuries is often delayed due to underestimated evaluation at first appearance and lack of common knowledge of the seriousness of this injury. The type and pressure of the infecting material is an important factor in prognosis and organic solvents infected pressure injury can cause poor outcome and increased amputation rate. In this case, we report on reconstruction of HP oil-based paint injection injuries of the finger using T-shaped pedicles and multiple venous anastomoses. In this concept, arterial flow can be maintained by the reverse flow of distal anastomosis when there is difficulty with the proximal anastomosis. And venous flow can be preserved by deep and superficial vein anastomosis. This concept has various advantages including preserving patency of the pedicle in chronic vasculopathy or trauma cases and maintaining the arterial flow by the reverse flow of distal anastomosis and can improve the free flap survival by a two vascular anastomosis system.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.169-174
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• 2001

Purpose : The problems of late deterioration of sensation and a double sensibility phenomenon are a known deficiency of the original neurovascular island flap. To eliminate this problems, the authors was performed to assess the results of Thumb-pulp loss reconstruction with a heterodigital neurovascular island Flap Using a Nerve Disconnecting-Reconnecting Technique Material and Methods : Between July. 1987 and November. 2000, we have used a disconnecting-reconnecting technique for heterodigital island flaps in which divided nerve of the transferred island flap is sutured to original nerve of the thumb in 9 patients. 9 patients with a mean follow-up period of 3.6 years were examined, while 7 patients were follow-up for 2years or more. Evaluation of results was based on flap quality, donor site quality, classic two-point sensory discrimination(2PD), and location of sensation(double sensibility), donor site cold intolerance, neuroma formation, scar contractures, total active movement(TAM) of the thumb and donor digit and subjective results and objective results. Results : The two-point discrimination was average 6.7 mm. Donor site paresthesia was observed more frequently in a short postoperative period. Sensation was referred to the thumb in all cases and the recovery occurred over a period of a two months. There were no flap complication or failures and the length of the thumb tip was preserved in all cases. Conclusion : This technique was found to provide well-vascularized pulp of the thumb with proper cortical representation in one operative stage.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2001

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate stress fracture of vascularized fibular grafts(VFG) by analyzing factors associated with stress fracture and the treatment results. Materials and Methods : From June 1985 to May 1998, 7 patients with stress fractures in the 38 patients with long bone defect who had vascularized fibular graft were evaluated with clinical and radiologic methods including grafted fibular length and hypertrophic index of de Boer. The average age of the patients was 35 years(range, $14{\sim}60$ years). The mean follow-up period was 20 months(range, $16{\sim}32$ months). Results: 7(18.4%) stress fractures occurred in 38 patients. Characteristics of the fractures were (1) all occurred at lower extremity of male patients treated with VFG for long bone defected caused by infected nonunion; (2) all occurred 10 months at the average(range, $4{\sim}17$ months) after VFG; and (3) the length and hypertrophic index of grafted fibula had no influence on the incidence of stress fracture. Union was obtained in 3 patients by conservative treatment. 4 patients obtained union by internal fixation; one at immediately onset of fracture; and three after failure of conservative treatment who had fracture around the knee joint. Conclusion : Stress fracture may occur during the first one year after vascularized fibular graft and more attention must be paid for prevention of it, especially in the cases of infected nonunion. Stress fracture around the knee joint was expected to lead to a good result of early union by operative treatment.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2001

Purpose : This describes our experience with a tenocutaneous free flap from the dorsum of the foot or radial forearm to reconstruct the dorsal skin and extensor tendons of the hand. Material and Methods : Between february 1987 and July 1998, we treated 9 patients with composite tissue loss on the dorsal hand caused by crushing injury. Nine men had an average age of 26.4 years(range, $19{\sim}47$). We treated 5 patients with the free dorsalis pedis flap including the extensor tendons and the superficial peroneal nerve and 4 patients with reverse forearm flap including the brachioradialis tendon and/or superficial radial nerve. Flap size was average 4.4(3,2cm. Evaluation of the results was based on the survived flap rate, the recovery rates for range of motion of the metacarpophalageal joints in the operated fingers. two-point discrimination. Results : All flaps were well vascularized and survived completely. Recovery rates for range of motion of the metacarpophalageal joints in operated fingers range from $78%{\sim}99%$(average, 90%). Two-point discrimination of the transferred flaps in 5 patients average $20{\pm}3.5mm$. Conclusion : The advantages of this procedure are mass action reconstruction with tendon, one-stage operation, faster healing with less adhesion formation, and early mobilization.