Mid-term Clinical Outcome of Microvascular Gracilis Muscle Flaps for Defects of the Hand.

ObservationalArchives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery· Apr 2024

Mid-term Clinical Outcome of Microvascular Gracilis Muscle Flaps for Defects of the Hand.

Tatjana Pastor, Rahel Meier, Dominique Merky … Esther Vögelin

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Hand & Peripheral NerveObservationalQ1IF 2.8

Gracilis muscle flaps covering hand defects showed a 94% survival rate.

Mid-term Clinical Outcome of Microvascular Gracilis Muscle Flaps for Defects of the Hand.

Tatjana Pastor … Esther Vögelin

Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery · Apr 2024 · Q1 in Surgery

Purpose

To analyze mid-term results of gracilis muscle flap coverage for defects on the hand, with regard to functional and esthetic integrity.

Methods

16 patients aged 44.3 (range 20-70) years were re-examined after a mean follow-up of 23.6 (range 2-77) months.

n = 16 patients

94%

Results

94%

flap survival was high, most hands healed without losing the graft

n = 16 patients

More results

Flaps survived in 15 patients.

6 patients required reoperations.

Reasons for revisions were venous anastomosis failure with total flap loss (n = 1) requiring a second gracilis muscle flap; necrosis at the tip of the flap (n = 1) with renewed split thickness skin cover.

More results

Mean grip strength was 25% (range 33.3-96.4%) compared to the contralateral side and mean patient-reported satisfaction 1.4 (range 1-3) (1 = excellent; 4 = poor).

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Conclusion · 1 of 3

Gracilis muscle flaps showed a survival rate of 94%. Patients showed good clinical outcomes with acceptable wrist movements and grip strength as well as high reported satisfaction rates.

Conclusion · 2 of 3

Compared to fasciocutaneous free flaps, pliability and thinness especially on the palmar aspect of the hand are advantageous. Hence, covering large defects of the hand with a gracilis muscle flap can be a very satisfactory procedure.

Conclusion · 3 of 3

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV observational.

Mid-term Clinical Outcome of Microvascular Gracilis Muscle Flaps for Defects of the Hand.

Mid-term Clinical Outcome of Microvascular Gracilis Muscle Flaps for Defects of the Hand.

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