Year of introduction

Author who first introduced

Defect characteristic

Flap introduced

Flap characteristic

1950

Gurdin [1]

Fingertip and volar defect with exposed bone or tendon.

Transdigital flap or standard cross-finger flap.

Retrograde or transverse based, two-staged flap from contiguous area of skin (dorsal/ lateral) on an adjacent finger. Flap made is 1/4^th larger in addition to defect size. Length-width ratio not to exceed 3:1

1971

Alonso-Artteda [17]

Degloving injury with distal phalanx amputation

Wrap around cross finger flap

Replantation of distal phalanx with cross finger flap from adjacent finger, along with its ulnar neurovascular bundle

1972

Wilkinson [11]

Thumb pulp defect

Radial nerve innervated cross-finger flap

Flap of skin and subcutaneous tissue from dorsum of proximal phalanx of index finger as a two-staged procedure, while the superficial radial nerve branches to the flap are transferred primarily.

1980

Atasoy [14]

Index fingertip amputation

Cross thumb to index finger pedicle

Proximally based full thickness dorsal flap from proximal phalanx of thumb, superficial to paratenon. Both dorsal sensory branches of thumb are preserved.

1982

Atasoy [28]

Dorsal skin avulsions and extensor tendon injuries, nail bed defects

Reversed cross-finger subcutaneous flap

Subcutaneous tissue flap from middle/ proximal phalanx of adjacent finger is used. The full-thickness skin flap raised from donor area covers the donor defect.

1983

Atasoy [30]

Hook nail deformity

Antenna procedure

Cross-finger flap stabilised with multiple small K-wires in stage one

1983

Cohen [20]

Fingertip defects

Innervated cross-finger flap

Flap raised from dorsum of middle phalanx along with its dorsal sensory nerve (distal to pedicle), which is then co-apted with digital nerve in recipient finger in stage one.

1985

Robbins [31]

Dorsal finger defects

De-epithelised cross-finger flap

Donor split thickness skin graft was completely removed. Adipofacial flap is used in reversed fashion

1985

Vlastou [33]

Thumb defects

Volar cross-finger flap

Volar skin and subcutaneous tissue of proximal phalanx of middle finger is used as donor flap.

1986

Yanai [34]

Thumb tip defect

Narrow pedicled cross-finger flap

Flag shaped cross finger flap harvested from dorsum of middle phalanx

1993

Mutaf [38]

Dorsal, volar, transverse defects

C-ring cross-finger flap

An axial pattern cross finger flap, based on one digital vascular bundle, proximally or distally. Includes entire dorsal and half of volar surface of donor finger.

1995

Lai [40]

Dorsolateral, lateral defect

Reverse digital artery neurovascular cross-finger flap

Flap harvested from lateral side of proximal phalanx nourished by distally based digital artery. Segment of digital nerve dorsal branch within the flap is used to bridge gap in recipient area

2000

Sabapathy [45]

Multi-digital mutilating injuries

Jumping cross-finger flap

Flaps taken from non-adjacent fingers

2002

Lassner [24]

Fingertip defects

Bilaterally innervated cross-finger flap

Both dorsal sensory branches of donor flap are co-apted with nerve stump of traumatised finger in both stages sequentially

2009

Tadiparthi [49]

Circumferential defect of ring finger

Open book flap

Dorsal skin flap from donor finger is used for volar cover, and adipofascial flap from same finger for dorsal cover

2010

Moosa [50]

Ring avulsion injury (Adani type IV)

Double cross-finger flap

Standard cross finger flap for volar cover of recipient finger. Reversed cross finger flap from different donor for dorsal cover.

2011

Zhao [25]

Venous congestion post digital replantation

Proximally based cross finger flap as venous conduit

Veins of congested replant were anastomosed with proximally based flap from proximal phalanx of adjacent finger

2013

Feng [56]

Distal fingertip degloving injury

Innervated pedicled cross-finger flap

Dorsal flap from middle phalanx, based on dorsal branch of proper digital artery is raised. Dorsal sensory branch of digital nerve within the flap is co-apted with digital nerve stump of injured finger.

2018

Chong [65]

Dorsal or volar finger defects

Laterally based cross-finger flap

Flap elevated from middle/proximal phalanx pedicled over midlateral line.