[Skeletal thumb reconstruction by vascularized metacarpal II transposition. Anatomic study and clinical case reports].

In complex hand injuries with destruction of the index finger, improved function is achieved by resection of the second metacarpal. We examined the possible use of the second metacarpal for reconstruction of simultaneous bony thumb defects. Its vascular anatomy was studied by dissection of 104 cadaver hands that had been injected with "Kleistermasse". Six arterial patterns were found, all of them useful for transposition of the second metacarpal into a thumb defect. The use of this new vascularized pedicle bone graft is demonstrated.