Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2025; 52(03): 145-152
DOI: 10.1055/a-2521-2291
Hand/Peripheral Nerve
Original Article

Comparison of Sensory Recovery between Random Pattern Flap and Axial Pattern Flap in Finger Defect Reconstruction

Tien Duc Nguyen 
1   Department of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
,
Thanh Dinh Trinh 
2   Department of Surgery, Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Haiphong, Vietnam
,
Thuong Van Pham 
2   Department of Surgery, Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Haiphong, Vietnam
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Abstract

Background This study aimed to investigate the association between the use of different flaps, including random and axial pattern flaps, and sensory recovery following finger soft tissue reconstruction using local pedicle flaps.

Methods A longitudinal study was conducted on 115 patients with 130 finger soft tissue defects treated with local pedicle flaps between December 2016 and December 2020. Assessments were made at early postsurgery (119 flaps), 3 months postsurgery (110 soft tissue defects), and 6 months postsurgery (94 soft tissue defects). Sensory recovery outcomes were compared between soft tissue defects reconstructed using random and axial pattern flaps.

Results In the early postsurgery period, there was a significantly higher prevalence of a static sense of two-point discrimination (s2PD) ≤6 mm among fingers with random pattern flaps (96.2%) than among fingers with axial pattern flaps (64.5%). The probability of s2PD ≤6 mm at the donor and recipient sites with the direct flap was 75.5% and 25.5%, respectively, which was significantly higher than that with the reversed flap. After 6 months, there was a significant difference in sensory recovery compared to that at 3 months postsurgery but not between different flap types.

Conclusion Sensory recovery after reconstruction was observed with all flap types, and better sensory recovery can be achieved in a shorter time postsurgery using random pattern flaps.

Keywords

random pattern flap - axial pattern flap - sensory recovery - soft tissue defects

Authors' Contributions

Conceptualization: D.T.N. Investigation: D.T.N. Methodology: D.T.N., V.T.P. Data curation: D.T.N., V.T.P. Formal analysis: D.T.N., D.T.T. Supervision: V.T.P. Writing – original draft: D.T.N. Writing – review and editing: V.T.P., D.T.T.


Ethical Approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Hanoi Medical University (approval number 215/HĐ Đ Đ ĐHYHN, dated December 2016).


Patient Consent

Written informed consent for the publication and use of their images was obtained from all patients.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 08 November 2023

Accepted: 17 January 2025

Accepted Manuscript online:
22 January 2025

Article published online:
15 May 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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