Fingertip Reconstruction With a Flap Based on the Dorsal Branch of the Digital Artery at the Middle Phalanx

BACKGROUND: It is of utmost importance for hand surgeons to rehabilitate injured fingertips aesthetically and functionally. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effect of the dorsal branch (DB) finger flap on fingertip reconstruction. METHOD: We used the flap based on the DB of the proper digital artery for fingertip reconstruction in 3 patients at the primary stage. The size of the flaps ranged from 1.5 × 2.0 cm to 2.5 × 4.5 cm. RESULT: The DB finger flaps in our series survived uneventfully during the follow-up period (range, 4-6 months). All the patients were contented with the aesthetic and functional outcomes of the flaps. The average static and moving 2-point discrimination of the flaps was 8.5 mm and 7.2 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: This sort of flap based on the DB of the proper digital artery was a simple and reliable alternative to reconstruct fingertip defects at the primary stage.