Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Background: Soft tissue defects of the hand present a significantchallenge in reconstructive surgery due to the hand'sintricate anatomy and essential functional role. One of themain considerations in hand reconstruction is the choice ofan appropriate flap. Among the various flaps used in hand reconstruction,the pedicled groin flap and the free anterolateralthigh flap have gained significant attention.Objective: This study aimed to compare between pedicledgroin flap and free anterolateral thigh flap in complex handdefects reconstructions regarding patient demographics, flap outcomes, complication rates, donor site morbidities and hospitalizationperiod.Material and Methods: This multicenter prospective clinicaltrial was conducted from March 2021 to March 2022 on 20patients with a clinical diagnosis of soft tissue defects of handrecruited from the Plastic Surgery Unit at General Surgery department,Faculty of Medicine, Benha University Hospital andPlastic Surgery department, Faculty of Medicine and Al AzharUniversity. Patients were divided into two groups, group (A)10 patients who underwent pedicled groin flap and group (b):10 patients who underwent free anterolateral thigh flap.Results: There were 14 males and 6 female their ageranged from 18-62 year. 7 cases resulting from crush injury, 5cases were due to burn and 8 cases were due to friction burn.Out of 10 patients who were reconstructed by pedicled groinflap, 1 patient (10%) was complicated by partial wound dehiscenceand only 1 patient (10%) was complicated by infection.out of 10 patients were reconstructed by The free anterolateralthigh flap 1 (10%) patient complicated by flap failure, 1 (10%)patient complicated by partial wound dehiscence and only 1(10%) patient complicated by infection.Conclusion: The pedicled groin flap demonstrated favorableoutcomes in older patients, leading to shorter operationtimes and hospital stays, making it a practical option for caseswith relatively smaller defects. Conversely, the free anterolateralthigh flap proved suitable for complex large hand defectsinvolving exposed tendons and joints, and it tended to be utilizedmore often in younger patients. Patient satisfaction andcomplication rates were compared between the two groups.
Ayad et al. (Mon,) studied this question.