Outcomes of coverage of the soft tissue defects in the hand with a groin flap

Abstract

The article presents outcome of treatment of 31 patients, 28 men and 3 women, at a mean age of 37 years with excessive soft tissue defects within the hand, which were fitted with groin flaps. Long-term outcomes were assessed at a mean of 3,7 years following surgery (range 3-10) in 18 patients (58%) in a form of phone interview. Results. All flaps eventually healed, however complications occurred in 8 patients (26%). At a follow-up assessment most of the patients complained of slight pain when using the hand. Only 2 patients achieved full range of motion of the fingers in the operated hand, and remaining 16 reported various degree of limited fingers movements, both flexion and extension. None of patients considered his/her hand fully dexterous and a mean quickDASH score was 21,5 points what shows moderate impairment of hand function. The poorest outcomes were achieved in patients with tissue defects in fingers and in those who had performed simultaneous tendon repair. The results of this study show that a groin flap is useful in reconstruction of large and moderate tissue defects in the hand, which do not fit for covering by conventional methods.

Keywords: hand tissue defect; superficial circumflex iliac artery; groin flap..