Articles not in English, animal or cadaveric studies, musculocutaneous flaps, pedicled flaps, ulnar forearm free fasciocutaneous flaps used for reconstruction Gefitinib manufacturer in non-head and neck regions, review articles, ulnar fascial flaps, and alternative free fasciocutaneous flaps were excluded. The three reviewers evaluated the selected articles for various parameters regarding number of ulnar flaps, flap dimensions, recipient vessels and location, donor morbidity,

need for skin grafting, complications, and rationale for use of the UFFF in comparison to other flaps, in particular the RFFF. Our searches led to 20, 24, and 36 articles; 17 of the 80 articles which met inclusion criteria (Fig. 1). Sixty-three articles were excluded either due to lack of relevance or publication in a language other than English. In addition to our case presentation, 681 cases of UFFF were identified in the selected publications[2-18]. Fifty-five percent (372 of 682) of the cases reported use of the Allen’s test, with one study noting that in 23 of the 30 cases, a UFFF was specifically selected over a RFFF due Selleck PKC412 to a positive Allen’s test.[9] Fifty-seven percent of the UFFF cases reviewed were reported for cancer resection reconstructions. Ninety-seven

cases (14%) were reported for intraoral reconstruction, 37 cases (5.4%) for pharyngoesophageal reconstruction, and 15 cases (2.2%) were described aminophylline for head and neck reconstruction external to the oropharynx. Pre-operative imaging was only noted in 51 cases, with Doppler ultrasound imaging used to determine the thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer. Flap sizes ranged from 3 to 32 cm in width and 5 to 22 cm in length. Seventy-three cases (11%) were reported as direct closures and 174 cases (26%) as skin graft closures; of note, 14 were full-thickness skin grafts, while the other 164 cases involved split-thickness skin grafts (Table 1). Of 432 cases in which flap survival was reported, 14 (3.2%) flap losses were noted including 13 (3.0%) total flap failures and one (0.2%) partial

flap failure; a pectoralis major flap reconstruction was performed after one total flap loss. Donor site morbidity reported included 10 cases of wound dehiscence or infection out of 128 cases (7.8%) reporting this specific outcome, 13 partial or total skin graft losses in 235 documented cases (5.5%), 32 cases of sensation changes in the donor site region out of 403 documented cases (7.9%), impaired wrist and finger mobility in 18 of 358 documented cases (5.0%), and grip strength loss in three of 358 documented cases (0.8%) (Table 2). A primary or replacement skin graft was performed in six cases of wounds requiring repair. In our experience and that of the authors identified in the articles, surgeon-perceived advantages served as the driving force behind UFFF use.