Objective To approach a new procedure of microsurgery to repair thumb fingertip amputation with forward homodigital ulnaris artery flap coverage for bone and nail bed graft. Methods From March 2005 to October 2007, 6 cases of amputated thumb fingertip (6 fingers) were treated, including 4 males and 2 females and aging 23-63 years. Six patients’ (3 crush injuries, 2 cut injuries and 1 other injury) amputated level was at nail root (2 cases), mid-nail (3 cases), and the distalone third of nai bed (1 case). The time from injury to surgery was 3-10 hours, they were treated with forward homodigital ulnaris artery flap coverage for bone and nail bed graft. The flaps size ranged from 1.5 cm × 1.4 cm to 2.0 cm × 1.4 cm. Results All flaps survived. Wound healed in one-stage in 5 cases, and healed in second stage in 1 case because of swell ing. All skin grafting at donor site survived in one-stage. All patients were followed up for 6-8 months. The appearance of flaps were good, and the two-point discrimination was 5-6 mm. Bone graft were healed, the heal ing time was 4-5 weeks. All finger nails were smooth and flat without pain. Conclusion When there was no indication of replantation in thumb fingertip amputation, establ ishing the functional and esthetic construction can be retained with forward homodigital ulnaris artery flap coverage for bone and nail bed graf
ObjectiveTo summarize the clinical experience of the retrograde replantation for amputated toe. MethodsBetween January 2010 and August 2015, 11 cases of amputated toes (15 toes) were treated by the retrograde replantation. All patients were male, with a mean age of 31 years (range, 18-45 years). The causes included cutting injury in 6 cases (9 toes) and crush injury in 5 cases (6 toes). One case had amputated great toe and distal segment of the second toe combined with the third toe nail bed contusion; 1 case had amputated proximal great toe and middle segment of the second and third toes; 1 case had amputated proximal segment of great toe and middle segment of the second toe; 7 cases had amputated distal segment of the great toe; and 1 case had amputated middle segment of the fifth toe. The time from injury to hospital was 1-3 hours (mean, 2 hours). ResultsThirteen toes survived completely after operation. Toe necrosis occurred in 1 toe; partial dorsal skins necrosis and nail bed necrosis occurred in 1 toe, and was cure after repaired with dorsalis pedis island flap. The rate of success for replantation of amputated toes was 93.33% (14/15). X-ray examination showed fracture healing of all survival toes at 8-12 weeks after operation (mean, 10 weeks); internal fixation was removed. Eleven cases were followed up 3-12 months (mean, 7.5 months). The survival toes had good appearance and toenail. The two point discrimination was 9-12 mm (mean, 10 mm) at last follow-up. The patients could walk and run normally. ConclusionIt is an ideal surgical method to use retrograde replantation to treat amputated toe, with the advantages of simple operation and high survival rate.
OBJECTIVE: To explore a method to treat the mostly-isolated finger with its bilateral arteria injury without microsurgery. METHODS: To avoid exacerbating iatrogenically the wound, the methods of therapy mainly included the following procedures: debriding carefully, suturing the cutis and subcutaneous layer to fix internally the fracture without Kirschner wire, and not suturing the broken finger nerve or the broken tendon which had rebound. It was used in the emergency operation. After operation, heat therapy and Anisodamine were used to dilate capillary and micrangium of the unbroken soft tissue of the wounded finger, which was anatomically the only base of blood supply of pars of the wounded finger. RESULTS: In the 34 cases, main blood supply of the wounded finger was restored. The wound healed well in 28 cases. In 6 cases of necrosis in the edge of the wound, the necrosis were excised and the cicatricial healing was achieved. In 31 patients followed up, after the fracture had healed, the nerve and tendon were repaired. CONCLUSION: The methods above should be available for the mostly-isolated finger, especially in a hospital without microsurgery.