The Radial Forearm Flap In Reconstruction Of Upper Limb Injuries

The radial forearm flap is a very useful and versatile flap with a long vascular pedicle and a thin, pliable skin. It's used in reconstruction of the mutilated hand as a reverse pedicled flap. The dominant pedicle is the radial artery, with venous outflow through the dual system of the venae comitantes and cephalic vein. Sensory innervation may be derived from the medial and lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerves. The radial forearm flap offers the advantage of a large area of donor tissue from the involved extremity with the potential for inclusion of bone, nerve, and tendon grafts. Sacrifice of the radial artery has not been associated with significant patient symptoms However, the donor defect can be troublesome, frequently requiring skin grafting directly over the paratenon of the flexor tendons, producing an undesirable donor site appearance