Fingertip reconstruction with a palmar advancement flap and free dermal graft: a report of six cases

The palmar thumb advancement flap was first described by Moberg in 1964. It was further utilized for the thumb and defined by Posner and Smith in 1971. In 1980, Macht and Watson favorably reported their technique of palmar advancement that was applicable not only for the thumb, but also for all five digits with soft tissue tip losses. A further refinement of their technique is to augment the digital tip with an autogenous dermal graft. This dermal "padding" is placed directly over the bony tuft to act as a "shock absorber," add bulk and contour to the distal tip of the finger, increase soft tissue stability, eliminate direct percussive tenderness of the bone, and decrease disability for specific occupations such as those requiring typewriting. Six cases are reported.