Use of radial artery perforator flap from burn-injured tissues.

Abstract

The hands and forearms are frequent sites of burn injury, and due to the high concentration of superficial tendons, bones, and joints, flaps are frequently needed to cover defects in these areas. We present a patient who suffered remote electrical injury to the right forearm which later developed into an open wound with exposed tendon. Successful coverage of this defect was accomplished with an islanded fasciocutaneous flap based on perforating arterial branches of the radial artery, which was harvested from an area of burn injury. Surgical treatment of hand and forearm wounds with axial pedicled flaps from areas of burn injury have been reported, but to our knowledge no reports describe the use of perforator flaps.