The Lateral Proximal Phalanx Flap for Contractures and Soft Tissue Defects in the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint: An Anatomical and Clinical Study.

The management of contractures and soft tissue defects in the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) finger joint remains a challenge. We report a transposition flap from the lateral skin of the proximal phalanx that is based on perforating branches of the digital arteries and can be used safely for both palmar and dorsal cover defects. We first completed an anatomic study, dissecting 20 fingers in fresh cadavers with arterial injections and made the new flap in patients with dorsal or palmar defects in PIP joints.