Local flaps of the hand.

A local flap consists of skin and subcutaneous tissue that is harvested from a site near a given defect while maintaining its intrinsic blood supply. Local skin flaps can be a used as a reliable source of soft tissue replacement that replaces like with like. Flaps are categorized based on composition, method of transfer, flap design, and blood supply, but flap circulation is considered the most critical factor for the flap survival. This article reviews the classification of local skin flaps of the hand and offers a practical reconstructive approach for several soft tissue defects of the hand and digits.