Anisotropic thermoelectric properties in hydrogenated nitrogen-doped porous graphene nanosheets.

By using density functional theory calculations combined with the nonequilibrium Green's function method and machine learning, we systematically studied the thermoelectric properties of four kinds of porous graphene nanosheets (PGNS) before and after nitrogen doping. The results show that the thermoelectric performance of porous graphene nanosheets along the armchair or zigzag chiral direction is improved due to the dramatically enhanced power factor caused by nitrogen doping. The calculated ZT values of nitrogen-doped porous graphene nanosheets are boosted by about one order of magnitude compared with those of undoped porous graphene nanosheets at room temperature. More importantly, an anisotropic thermoelectric transport is found in the nitrogen-doped porous graphene nanosheets. The results show that the ZT values of nitrogen-doped porous graphene nanosheets along the zigzag transport direction are nearly 11 times larger than those of them along the armchair transport direction. These results reveal that the thermoelectric properties of porous graphene nanosheets can be well regulated by nitrogen doping, and provide a good theoretical guidance for their application in thermoelectric devices.

Enhancement of thermoelectric performance in graphenylene nanoribbons by suppressing phonon thermal conductance: the role of phonon local resonance.

Based on the method of non-equilibrium Green's function, we investigate the thermal transport and thermoelectric properties of graphenylene nanoribbons (GRNRs) with different width and chirality. The results show that the thermoelectric (TE) performance of GRNRs significantly increases with decreasing ribbon width, which stems from the reduction of thermal conductance. In addition, by changing the ribbon width and chirality, the figure of merit (ZT) can be controllably manipulated and maximized up to 0.45 at room temperature. Moreover, it is found that theZTvalue of GRNRs with branched structure can reach 1.8 at 300 K and 3.4 at 800 K owing to the phonon local resonance. Our findings here are of great importance for thermoelectric applications of GRNRs.

Bacteriological Investigation and Drug Resistance Analysis of Chronic Refractory Wound Secretions.

BACKGROUND: Chronic refractory wounds were common and the treatments were complicated for burn and plastic surgeons. This study was to investigate the bacterial distribution characteristics and bacterial drug resistance of chronic refractory wound secretions. METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed 425 patients with chronic refractory wound infection. The results of bacterial culture of wound secretions and drug sensitivity test were retrospectively analyzed. Further, the location area of the wound was divided into 4 regions, and the difference of the bacterial culture results between different regions was analyzed. RESULTS: The wound secretions were cultured into 401 bacterial strains, including 206 gram-positive bacteria strains, accounting for 51.4%, with the highest detection rate of Staphylococcus aureus at 26.2% (105/401). There were 195 gram-negative bacteria strains, accounting for 48.6%, with the highest detection rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 14.2% (57/401). There were 6 fungal strains. The proportion of gram-negative bacteria in the III region of the wound zone was significantly greater than that in the other 3 regions. CONCLUSIONS: The detection rate of gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria of chronic refractory wound secretions is not much different. However, in the area close to the perineum (III region), gram-negative bacteria is significantly higher, which has a certain reference value for the use of antibiotics in clinical practice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.

Interfacial self-assembly of amphiphilic conjugated block copolymer into 2D nanotapes.

In the present work, the evaporation-induced interfacial self-assembly behavior of an amphiphilic conjugated polymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (P3HT-b-PAA), at the oil-water interface is explored. Novel 2D nanotapes of P3HT-b-PAA are prepared via the interfacial self-assembly. It is inferred that P3HT segments adopt a special conformation at the oil-water interface, which facilitates the packing of alkyl side chains and π-π interaction. The UV-vis spectrum further confirms that the ordering degree of P3HT segments is increased while transmission IR and Raman spectroscopic studies suggest that the P3HT chains adopt a more planar conformation at the oil-water interface. It is proposed that the formation of the nanotapes is driven by the ordered packing of the P3HT chains at the oil-water interface. Finally, the packing model of the P3HT chains inside the nanotapes is roughly proposed.

Enhancement of tunneling current in phosphorene tunnel field effect transistors by surface defects.

The effects of the staggered double vacancies, hydrogen (H), 3d transition metals, for example cobalt, and semiconductor covalent atoms, for example, germanium, nitrogen, phosphorus (P) and silicon adsorption on the transport properties of monolayer phosphorene were studied using density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function formalism. It was observed that the performance of the phosphorene tunnel field effect transistors (TFETs) with an 8.8 nm scaling channel length could be improved most effectively, if the adatoms or vacancies were introduced at the source channel interface. For H and P doped devices, the upper limit of on-state currents of phosphorene TFETs were able to be quickly increased to 2465 µA µm-1 and 1652 µA µm-1, respectively, which not only outperformed the pristine sample, but also met the requirements for high performance logic applications for the next decade in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). It was proved that the defect-induced band gap states make the effective tunneling path between the conduction band (CB) and valence band (VB) much shorter, so that the carriers can be injected easily from the left electrode, then transfer to the channel. In this regard, the tunneling properties of phosphorene TFETs can be manipulated using surface defects. In addition, the effects of spin polarization on the transport properties of doped phosphorene TFETs were also rigorously considered, H and P doped TFETs could achieve a high ON current of 1795 µA µm-1 and 1368 µA µm-1, respectively, which is closer to realistic nanodevices.

Ab initio performance predictions of single-layer In-V tunnel field-effect transistors.

The device performances of both n-type and p-type tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) made of single-layer InX (X = N, P, As, Sb) are theoretically evaluated through density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio simulations in this paper. It is found that a promising steep subthreshold swing (SS) of [less-than-or-eq] 60 mV dec-1 can be obtained with gate length LG = 15.2 nm for all two-dimensional (2D) InX TFETs. In particular, an outstanding on-current of ∼1058 µA µm-1 (or 880 µA µm-1) is estimated in a 2D p-type (or n-type) InSb device, which could barely satisfy the ITRS requirements for future high-performance (HP) applications. In addition, the 2D InAs p-type (or n-type) TFET containing a 15.2 nm gate length has great potential to be applied to the low-power (LP) devices with an ON-OFF ratio of ION/IOFF = 1.8 × 107 (or ION/IOFF = 1.9 × 107). However, the density-of-state bottleneck effect strongly influences the behavior of 2D InP and InN devices. Our results provide guidance for experimental synthesis and future designs of a single-layer material device with a steep inverse subthreshold slope, low OFF-, and high ON-current.

Effect of the Nitrogen Incorporation on the Microstructure and Photoelectric Properties of N Type Nanocrystalline Silicon Thin Films.

N type silicon-rich nanocrystalline-SiN(x) ∶ H films were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique by changing NH3 flow rate. The effect of nitrogen incorporation on the microstructure and photoelectric properties of the thin films were characterized by Raman, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra, and Hall effect measurement. The results indicated that with the increasing NH3, a phase transition from microcrystalline to amorphous silicon occured. Transmission electron microscope observation revealed that the size of silicon quantum dots could be adjusted by varying the flow rate of NH3. The microstructure order of the films reduced with increasing the flow rate of NH3, while the optical band gap increased, and the optical band tail became narrow. Meanwhile, Si­N bonds density increased and P doping was blocked. I-V testing results showed that with increasing NH3, the conductivity of films first decreased compared with nanocrystalline-Si and then increased. These behaviors reveal a competition in the mechanisms controlling the conductivity. However, with further increasing NH3, the conductivity decreased significantly due to rapid carrier recombination on the amorphous net structure.

Crystallization-driven one-dimensional self-assembly of polyethylene-b-poly(tert-butylacrylate) diblock copolymers in DMF: effects of crystallization temperature and the corona-forming block.

Crystallization-driven self-assembly of polyethylene-b-poly(tert-butylacrylate) (PE-b-PtBA) block copolymers (BCPs) in N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) was studied. It is found that all three PE-b-PtBA BCPs used in this work can self-assemble into one-dimensional crystalline cylindrical micelles. When the BCP solution is cooled to crystallization temperature (Tc) from 130 °C, the seed micelles may be produced via two competitive processes in the initial period: stepwise micellization/crystallization and simultaneous crystallization/micellization. Subsequently, the seed micelles can undergo growth driven by the epitaxial crystallization of the unimers. The lengths of both the seed micelles and the grown micelles are longer for the BCP with a longer PtBA block at a higher Tc. Quasi-living growth of the PE-b-PtBA crystalline cylindrical micelles is achieved at a higher Tc. A longer PtBA block evidently retards the attachment of unimers to the crystalline micelles, leading to a slower growth rate.

Synthesis of an Amphiphilic Brush Copolymer by a Highly Efficient "Grafting onto" Approach via CO2 Chemistry.

A novel and robust route for the synthesis of a new amphiphilic brush copolymer, poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-graft-polyethylene glycol (PGMA-g-PEG), with high grafting densities of 97%-98% through a "grafting onto" method via carbon dioxide chemistry is reported. PGMA-g-PEG can self-assemble and form stable spherical core-shell micelles in aqueous solution. Besides, the obtained PGMA-g-PEG polymer contains hydroxyurethane structures as the junction sites between the PGMA backbone and PEG side chain, which can be used for further modification.

Effect of local chain deformability on the temperature-induced morphological transitions of polystyrene-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) micelles in aqueous solution.

The effect of temperature on the micellar morphology of two polystyrene-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PS-b-PNIPAM) diblock copolymers in an aqueous solution was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At 25 °C, a mixture of vesicles and spheres are observed for the micelles of PS65-b-PNIPAM108, while PS65-b-PNIPAM360 exhibits mixed cylindrical and spherical micellar morphology. Upon increasing the temperature, the micellar morphology becomes spherical for PS65-b-PNIPAM108 at 60 °C and for PS65-b-PNIPAM360 at 40 °C. Such vesicle-to-sphere and cylinder-to-sphere transitions of micellar morphology are reversible when the micellar solutions are cooled back to 25 °C. However, these temperature-induced morphological transitions of the PS-b-PNIPAM micelles are contrary to the theoretical prediction. Qualitative analysis of the free energy shows that vesicular or cylindrical micelles tend to form at higher temperatures if only the overall volume change of the PNIPAM block is considered. The contradiction between the experimental results and theoretical prediction is interpreted in terms of the local deformability of the PNIPAM chains. At elevated temperatures, the collapsed PNIPAM globules are less deformable and must occupy larger areas at the micellar interface, although the overall volume is smaller at higher temperatures. This will lead to a larger repulsion between the PNIPAM globules and a remarkable increase in the free energy of the corona; thus, the formation of vesicles or cylinders at higher temperatures is prohibited.

Selective Cox-2 inhibitor celecoxib induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human lung cancer cells via activating MEK-ERK signaling.

Increasing evidence has suggested that high expression level of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) is associated with the malignancies of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), leading to a rationale of applying Cox-2 inhibitors as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of NSCLC. However, the addition of celecoxib, a selective Cox-2 inhibitor, to chemotherapy in clinical trials failed to benefit the survival of NSCLC patients, which urges the investigation to re-evaluate this strategy for NSCLC treatment. In this study, we observed that celecoxib treatment at clinically relevant concentrations induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NSCLC cells regardless of Cox-2 status, which, however, was not recapitulated using another Cox-2 inhibitor, etodolac. Celecoxib-stimulated EMT in turn promoted cell invasion and rendered cells resistant to chemotherapy. Further mechanistic investigation by disrupting the integrity of signaling pathways using specific inhibitors or RNA interference revealed that celecoxib-induced EMT in NSCLC cells is indispensable of transforming growth factor-ß1/Smad signaling. Instead, the activated MEK/ERK/SNAIL1 signaling largely accounted for celecoxib-induced EMT. Taken together, our study reveals the diverse impacts of Cox-2 inhibitors on EMT in NSCLC cells independent of Cox-2 inhibition, where celecoxib treatment leads to metastasis and chemoresistance via EMT induction. These findings reveal the increased risks of cancer metastasis and chemoresistance by applying Cox-2 inhibitors, celecoxib in particular, in clinical trials of NSCLC treatment and urge intensive preclinical assessment before proceeding to clinical application.

The pretreatment effects of various target pollutant in real coal gasification gray water by coupling pulse electrocoagulation with chemical precipitation methods.

To prevent the scale formation in the equipments and pipelines after pre-treated coal gasification gray water (CGGW) entering the reuse system and reduce the influence of various pollutants in the effluent on subsequent biochemical treatment, this study presented a coupled use of pulse electrocoagulation (PEC) and chemical precipitation (CP) coupling method for the pretreatment of coal gasification gray water (CGGW). In addition, the operation parameters of PEC and the reaction conditions of PEC-CP were optimized based on iron plate as electrode and total hardness, turbidity and sludge yield as assessment indicators. Due to the formation of multi-hydroxyl iron by several minutes of pulse current, and the addition of pH regulator and coagulant aid, the efficient removal of various ions, hardness and turbidity was significantly reduced via various mechanism such as redox, precipitation, adsorption and coagulation reaction. The result indicated that under the optimal operation conditions, the total hardness, turbidity, and Fen+ of PEC-CP effluents were 275.0 mg/L, 3.0 NTU and 5.6 mg/L, respectively and sludge amount was 0.88 kg/m3. The removal rates of Si, B, Mn, Ba, COD, NPOC and NH4+-N by PEC-CP reached 80.0%, 75.4%, 97.0%, 99.8%, 35.0%, 33.6% and 23.8%, respectively. The present results suggested that the CGGW pretreatment effluents could be not only reused directly, but also greatly alleviate the scaling problem of water pipeline and coal gasification production facilities.

Prevalence of osteoporosis in spinal surgery patients older than 50 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: In spine surgery, poor bone condition is associated with several complications like adjacent segment fractures, proximal junctional kyphosis, and screw loosening. Our study explored the prevalence of osteoporosis in spinal surgery patients older than 50 years through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA criteria. Three electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, were searched from inception to August 2022. We used the random-effects model to calculate the overall estimates, and the heterogeneity was measured using Cochran's Q and I2 tests. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were used to determine the source of the heterogeneity. RESULTS: Based on the inclusion and criteria, we chose ten studies with 2958 individuals for our analysis. The prevalence of osteoporosis, osteopenia, and osteoporosis/osteopenia in the spinal surgery patients was 34.2% (95%CI: 24.5%-44.6%), 43.5% (95%CI: 39.8%-47.2%), and 78.7% (95%CI: 69.0%-87.0%), respectively. Regarding different diagnoses, the prevalence was highest in patients with lumbar scoliosis (55.8%; 95%CI: 46.8%-64.7%) and the lowest in patients with cervical disc herniation (12.9%; 95%CI: 8.1%-18.7%). In age groups 50-59, 50-69,70-79, the prevalence was 27.8%, 60.4%, 75.4% in females, and 18.9%, 17.4%, 26.1% in males. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a high prevalence of osteoporosis in patients undergoing spine surgery, especially in females, people of older age, and patients who received degenerative scoliosis and compression fractures. Current osteoporosis screening standards for patients undergoing spine surgery may not be adequate. Orthopedic specialists should make more efforts regarding preoperative osteoporosis screening and treatment.

Impairment characteristics of static balance and plantar load distribution of patients undergoing tibial cortex transverse distraction for diabetic foot ulcers.

OBJECTIVE: Tibial cortex transverse distraction (TCTD) has been recently reported for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Herein, we explored the characteristics of the impairments in static balance and plantar load distribution in patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 21 patients with diabetic foot ulcers who underwent TCTD, who were regularly followed up for > 1 year after surgery, and 20 healthy individuals (control group). A pressure platform was used to assess the standing balance functions of the lower extremities and the plantar load distribution. RESULTS: One patient underwent amputation because of severe infection. In patient group, center of pressure (COP) ellipse sway area, COP path length and angle θ were all larger, compared with those of control group (250.15 ± 98.36 mm2 vs. 135.67 ± 53.21 mm2, 145.15 ± 67.43 mm vs. 78.47 ± 34.15 mm, 39.75 ± 17.61° vs. 22.17 ± 14.15°), with statistically significant differences (P < 0.01). The average plantar load and backfoot load of the unaffected side was significantly larger than that of the affected side (58.4 ± 5.5% vs. 41.6 ± 5.5%, 45.3 ± 6.4% vs. 36.5 ± 5.6%), but they were similar for the two feet of members of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Although TCTD may represent an appropriate method for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, postoperative impairments in static balance and plantar load distribution remain in the long term. These potential long-term problems should be taken into account in further rehabilitation planning. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic III.

The design and application of an individualized 3D printing assisted guide plates in assisting sacroiliac screws insertion.

OBJECTIVE: Currently, the sacroiliac screws insertion still faces several challenges in the fixation of pelvic and acetabular injuries. This study was aimed to design a personalized three-dimensional (3D) printing assisted guide plates to assist sacroiliac screws insertion, so as to provide a reference for further clinical applications. METHODS: Eight pelvic specimens (5 males and 3 females) of normal adults were used to simulate actual operation. After thin-layer CT scanning, the 3D models of pelvis were established based on the images data. Furthermore, in Mimics 17.0 software, the screw entry points and screw channels of sacroiliac screws were further simulated and designed, and the appropriate range of the posterior superior iliac spine was selected to establish and print the virtual guide plates. Then, the simulated screws insertion was performed in vitro, the pelvic specimens after screws insertion were scanned again by CT, and the effect of screws insertion was further evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 16 sacroiliac screw guide plates were designed and printed, and 48 screws were inserted on both sides. Therein, 45 screws were completely located in the sacral vertebra, which was determined as grade 0, with an accuracy rate of 93.2%. The other 3 screws penetrated the anterior cortex or sacral canal of sacral vertebra, including 2 screws in Grade 1 (4.1%) and 1 screw in Grade 2 (2.1%). Compared with the simulated screw channels, the anterior and posterior offset angles of the cross section were (0.912 ± 0.625) ° and (0.802 ± 0.681) ° respectively, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). The upper and lower offset angles of coronal plane were (1.158 ± 0.823) ° and (1.034 ± 0.908) ° respectively, and there was no significant difference (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 3 D printing guide plates assisted sacroiliac screws insertion can enhance the stability of pelvic posterior ring fixation and assist surgeons to reduce the difficulty of operation.

High-performance 5.1 nm in-plane Janus WSeTe Schottky barrier field effect transistors.

Using ab initio quantum-transport simulations, we studied the intrinsic transfer characteristics and benchmarks of the ballistic performance of 5.1 nm double-gated Schottky-barrier field effect transistors (SBFETs) consisting of in-plane (IP) heterojunctions of metallic-phase (1T or 1T') MTe2 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Cr, Mo, W) and semiconducting-phase (2H) WSe2, WTe2 and Janus WSeTe. The 2H-phase Janus WSeTe is a semiconductor with an indirect bandgap (1.26 eV), which is less than the bandgap of 2H-phase WSe2 (1.64 eV) and is greater than the bandgap of 2H-phase WTe2 (1.02 eV). The band alignments show that all IP 1T/2H contacts are Schottky-barrier contacts with the Fermi levels of 1T or 1T' MTe2 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Cr, Mo, W) located within the bandgaps of 2H WSe2, WTe2 and Janus WSeTe. Although double-gated IP WSe2-SBFETs can satisfy the OFF current requirement, their ON currents all fall below the requirements of the high performance transistor outlined by the ITRS (International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, 2013 version) for the production year 2028. Double-gated IP WTe2-SBFETs cannot overcome the short channel effect leading to minimum drain currents all beyond the OFF current requirement of ITRS (2013 version) for the production year 2028. Fortunately, double-gated IP WSeTe-SBFETs with 1T MoTe2 or 1T' WTe2 electrodes can overcome the short channel effect and satisfy the requirements of the high-performance transistor outlined by the ITRS (2013 version) for the production year 2028.

Tibial cortex transverse distraction in treating diabetic foot ulcers: what are we concerned about?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect and complications of tibial cortex transverse distraction (TCTD) in treating diabetic foot ulcers and draw attention to the concerning issues of this procedure. METHODS: This case series included 30 patients with diabetic foot ulcers from four centers. The ulcers had not healed after >6 months. The patients then underwent TCTD combined with other procedures (debridement, vacuum sealing drainage, and others). All patients were followed up for >12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Three patients underwent amputation because of aggravated infections. Tibial fractures occurred in two patients after surgery, and the fractures healed after 3 months of plaster fixation. Pin-site infections occurred in five patients, and the infected pin site healed after the patients underwent pin removal and dressing changes for 3.3 ± 2.1 weeks. The ulcers of the other 27 patients healed by 13.5 ± 8.2 weeks postoperatively, and the postoperative visual analog scale score was significantly lower than the preoperative score. CONCLUSIONS: Although TCTD can be performed as an adjuvant treatment for diabetic foot ulcers, the effect should not be exaggerated and the complications should not be ignored. Further research is needed to propose a standard operative procedure and avoid postoperative complications such as tibial fractures.

Positive effect of partial zona pellucida digestion on in vitro fertilization of mouse oocytes with cryopreserved spermatozoa.

Cryopreservation of mouse spermatozoa has been widely used; however, fertility of frozen spermatozoa in some strains, especially when inseminating cryopreserved oocytes, is low and may be improved by assisted fertilization techniques. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of partial zona pellucida (ZP) digestion on the in vitro fertilization (IVF) capacity of frozen mouse spermatozoa. Mouse oocytes were subjected to partial ZP digestion using acidic Tyrode's solution (pH 3.1). Fertilization rates in digestion groups (30 or 45 s) were higher (P < 0.05) than that of zona-intact control (78.3% or 86.3% vs. 52.5%). The recovery rate at 45 s was lower (P < 0.05) than that at 30 s (84.2% vs. 97.3%). Among vitrified oocytes, the fertilization rate in treatment group (digested for 30 s) was higher (P < 0.05) than that of zona-intact group (50.8% vs. 22.1%). After embryo transfer at the two-cell stage, 17.7% and 11.8% of transferred embryos derived from fresh and vitrified digested oocytes developed to term and showed no significant difference as compared with that from zona-intact oocytes (24.1%, P > 0.05). These results indicate that partial ZP digestion improves IVF efficiency of fresh and vitrified oocytes with frozen mouse spermatozoa, which can provide valuable information for in vitro assisted fertilization using cryopreserved gametes in the re-establishment of mouse colonies.

The free neurovascular transverse wrist crease flap for repairing soft tissue defects of the fingers: clinical outcomes of multiple centers.

BACKGROUND: Flap transplantation is often needed for soft tissue defects of the fingers that cannot be closed directly. Sensory reconstruction of the fingers is important for patients to recover feelings. In this study, we report clinical outcomes of using free neurovascular transverse wrist crease flap for repairing finger defects from multiple centers. METHODS: This case series includes 72 consecutive patients with finger defects between June 2013 and June 2016 from multiple centers. A neurovascular transverse free radial artery superficial palmar branch flap, named transverse wrist crease flap, was designed to reconstruct soft tissue defects of the fingers with microvascular anastomosis. When there were soft tissue defects of the fingers with digital nerve defect, end-to-end neurorrhaphy between the median palmar cutaneous branch and the digital nerves was also performed. The donor incision was sutured directly. All the patients were followed-up for more than 24 months. RESULTS: The soft tissue defects of the fingers were all completely covered with this free neurovascular transverse wrist crease flap, and the flaps in 71 patients survived completely without ischemia. Vascular crisis appeared in one case, and the wound healed gradually after changing wound dressing for nearly 1 month. Slight infections of wounds appeared in eight cases. There were no complications in the donor site, like infection and poor wound healing. At the last follow-up, the mean static two-point discrimination was 9.6 ± 2.4 mm on the injured finger and 4.5 ± 0.8 on the contralateral corresponding finger. The motion range of the distal interphalangeal joint and proximal interphalangeal joint on the injured finger were 72.5 ± 23.3% and 78.7 ± 32.5% of the contralateral corresponding finger, respectively. Patient self-evaluations were good in 53 cases and fair in 19 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the free neurovascular transverse wrist crease flap is a good choice for repairing soft tissue defects of the fingers. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.