Vascularized Bone Flaps for Carpal Reconstruction

Abstract

Within the field of hand and upper extremity surgery, reconstruction of the bony carpus remains a perplexing task and is a field undergoing rapid evolution. Among the eight bones of the carpus, the scaphoid and lunate are most frequently affected by traumatic and avascular processes which render their articular surfaces degenerated and painful. These conditions include scaphoid waist fracture, scaphoid proximal pole fracture, and Kienböck's disease of the lunate. While traditional salvage operations with limited functional outcomes have historically been employed for management of these unsolved problems, advances in microsurgical understanding and capability are changing the treatment algorithm at our center. This paradigm shift centers in large part around the introduction of new techniques for vascularized bone and cartilage transfer for carpal reconstruction.