Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Laser Doppler blood perfusion instrument is mostly used to observe random skin flap circulation, but there had been no study addressing a random flap nail fold microcirculation observation, which is a common method for detecting peripheral circulation.
OBJECTIVE: The nail fold microcirculation on random flap was observed to understand the flap changes in peripheral microcirculation.
METHODS: Totally 23 cases with hand skin defects were treated by free flaps and did not special drug treatment in the Burns and Plastic Surgery, the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, were selected and divided into the flap and control groups according to nail fold microcirculation after surgery. The morphology, flow pattern and perivascular tissue of microcirculation at immediately, 7 and 15 days after flap transplantation were observed. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Microcirculation immediately after flap transplantation verified in definition, blood flow velocity, erythrocyte aggregation, and leakage, which showed the occurrence of microcirculation disturbance. There were no significant differences between the two groups in erythrocyte aggregation at 7 days after transplantation (P > 0.05); while difference was significant in the definition, blood flow velocity and leakage (P < 0.05). At 15 days after transplantation, there were no significant differences in the definition, blood flow velocity, erythrocyte aggregation and leakage between the two groups (P > 0.05). The findings suggest that, observation of microcirculation of nail fold can display the flap blood supply and provide basis for flap pedicle division in the clinical course of treatment.