POSTERIOR INTERBONE ARTERY FLAP FOR COVERING SERIOUS FOREARM, WRIST AND HAND INJURIES

ABSTRACTTo assess the results achieved with posterior interbone artery flap covering serious injuries of the distal third of the forearm, wrist and hand, evaluating the degree of effectiveness of this procedure. Methods: 35 patients with serious injuries of the distal third of upper limbs were studied. We assessed the kind of trauma, injury site, flap size, skin coverage need, clinical outcome and complications. Results: The most frequent mechanism of trauma was motorcycle accident. The most commonly affected regions were: dorsal hand, wrist volar regions and the first commissure. In all patients, the flap size was enough to cover key tissues exposed by the injury. The donor area did not show complications, being primarily closed in 23 cases. The outcomes were good for 31 cases. In 22 patients, no complication was found, and the flap was completely lost in four. Conclusion: Posterior interbone artery flap provides good outcomes in covering serious injuries of the distal third of upper limbs, leading to a stable and reliable coverage, not compromising key irrigating arteries of the hand, enabling the performance of reconstruction procedures. Therefore, this is a useful alternative in such cases.