Reconstruction of volar skin and soft tissue defects of the digits including the pulp: experience with the free SUPBRA flap.

Background: The ideal flap for volar defects on the digits should provide glabrous skin, maintain length, be sensate and supple enough to allow unimpeded motion of the joints. When local flap options are either inadequate or unavailable, this constitutes a challenge that usually requires free tissue transfer. We describe our experience of the use of the free transfer of glabrous skin based on the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery (SUPBRA) for digital (volar) reconstruction.