Salvage of a Thumb Replant Using a Bilobed Dorsal Metacarpal Artery Island Flap: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Amputations and degloving injuries of the hand are highly disabling, especially when they affect the thumb. Dorsal metacarpal artery (DMCA)-based flaps have been well-documented in the literature for use in extensive degloving injuries of both dorsal and palmar aspects of the thumb surface. Modifications on these flaps, such as the bilobed island flap, offer additional advantages when larger surface areas or more distal defects of the thumb are present. We present a review of the literature on the DMCA flap and describe its use to salvage a partial survival of a thumb amputation through the metacarpophalangeal joint.