TEMPOROPARIETAL FASCIAL FREE FLAP FOR CORRECTION OF FIRST WEB SPACE ATROPHY

Fourteen temporoparietal fascial free flaps were used for correction of first web space atrophy from ulnar nerve palsy in 13 patients. Ten sustained ulnar nerve injuries and three suffered from leprosy. The procedures were performed under general anesthesia except one leprosy patient with bilateral ulnar nerve palsy in which local anesthesia and brachial block were employed to harvest bilateral free flaps and recipient site preparations, respectively. The follow-up time varied from 4 to 64 months. The postoperative results were satisfactory and there was no resorption of the free flaps. The consistency of the augmented first web space was soft and compressible like natural feel. The size of the flap was more than enough for augmentation of first web space and donor site morbidity was minimal and accepted by all patients. We conclude that temporoparietal fascial free flap is an ideal autogenous tissue for correction of first web space atrophy. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 30:8-12, 2010.