Clinical application of Reading man flap for repair of the wound of donor site at the dorsum of the finger

Objective To introduce the surgical technique and clinical efficacy of Reading man flap for repair of the wound of donor site at the dorsum of the finger. Methods From February 2016 to August 2018, 9 cases (9 fingers) of fingertip defects were treated with reverse dorsal digital island flap of the same finger. The donor site of dorsal digital flaps was repaired with Reading man flap. After repair of fingertip defects, the defect area of dorsal digital donor site ranged from 2.0 cm×1.3 cm to 2.5 cm×1.6 cm. Results All the flaps survived uneventfully. The average hospitalization time was 10 days. The follow-up time was 3 to 9 months. The texture, color, plumpness and elasticity of the dorsal digital donor site were good. No tendon adhesion, interphalangeal joint and metacarpophalangeal joint stiffness occurred. All the patients were satisfied with the appearance and function of the injured fingers. Conclusion The repair of the dorsal digital donor site with Reading man flap takes into account both appearance and durability, which is beneficial to the early rehabilitation of injured finger and less damage to donor site. The method of operation is safe and simple. It is an improvement on the repair of the donor site of the reverse dorsal digital island flap of the same finger. Key words: Finger injuries; Surgical flaps; Reading man flap; Flap donor site