Correction of Hand Deformities after Burn

Hand burns can lead to deformities even after successful primary healing. They are the most common cause of skin contractures involving the hand. This review article discusses ways to correct claw deformity, flexion contracture in palm and finger, and web space contracture, which are post-burn hand deformities commonly encountered in clinical practice. Loss of skin is the end result in many causes of hand deformities after burn. Therefore, reinforcing the lost skin is the principle of corrective surgery. Even if the skin is thicker than the full-thickness skin, it will engraft if damage to the tissue and blood vessels of the recipient is minimized. The thicker the skin, the less is the re-contraction and growth. The foot is an ideal donor site for skin graft on the hand. In particular, the instep or the area below the malleolar is a very good donor site. First web space of the hand is very important for hand function, and it must be reconstructed with Z-plasty, skin graft, and free flap step by step according to the degree of contraction.

Transversal escharotomies: a new surgical technique adjuvant in the treatment of chronic ulcers with non-arterial etiology in the lower limbs

PURPOSE: Propose a new and alternative surgical procedure in order to aid on treatments of chronic ulcers with non-arterial etiology in the lower limbs, especially those that reoccurs and accomplish of dermatosclerosis and skin contractures determining ankle and foot limits. METHODS: It describes a medical case regarding a female, 54 years old, with a pre-existing ulcer (sixteen years) on her left leg. Despite of conventional treatments such as curatives, compressive therapy and surgeries, the ulcer on her leg was not cured for three years. The skin dermatosclerosis on her foot and ankle limited her mobility tremendously. The surgery involved the debridement of the ulcers, local phlebectomies and the correction of her scar contraction by a transversal escharotomies. Conventional procedures were applied in pre and post-surgery. RESULTS: After twelve weeks, the ulcer was completely healed by second intention. Despite the odds, she regained sustainable mobility in her foot and ankle, allowing this patient to wear medical elastic socks. Reoccurrences of the ulcer did not occur during the two years post-surgery. CONCLUSION: The transversal escharotomies may favor the healing of non-arterial chronic ulcers in the lower limbs, impeding perpetual mechanisms of this sort. For example, the ankle and foot limitation determinates in secondary scars, skin contractures, dermatosclerosis that produce the failure in the muscular calf-pump with deterioration in the ascending venous propulsion.

Palmar Resurfacing Techniques: an “Ideal” Opportunity and the Importance of Long-Term Follow-Up

A case involving the accidental loss of all the skin of the palm and the palmar surfaces of all four fingers, and its replacement as a full-thickness graft, is presented. The importance of long-term follow-up to detect and correct palmar skin contractures is emphasized. The literature which relates to this difficult area of loss is reviewed.

Correction of Syndactyly using a Dorsal Omega Flap and Two Lateral and Volar Flaps

The long-term results of a technique for correction of syndactyly are reported. The technique consists of a dorsal omega flap and a palmar anchor forming two palmar and lateral flaps. A long-term review was made of 50 patients with a minimum of 8 years follow-up operated over a period of 10 years. A total of 122 web spaces in simple, complex and syndromic syndactyly were operated on. Most patients achieved satisfactory reconstruction of the web spaces, resulting in a web of good shape. At long-term review, web creep was recorded in eight webs, and skin contractures in three fingers. This study shows the technique to be effective in reconstructing web spaces and in minimizing the prevalence of complications.

Use of Z-skin plasty in scar revisions and skin contractures of the lower extremity

A discussion of the design and use of the Z-skin plasty to revise scars and lengthen skin contractures of the lower extremities is presented. One of the most commonly used rotational flaps to alter scar direction or relieve tension on the existing scar or skin, the Z-plasty can also be the most difficult to perform and carries a high risk of flap loss if inaccurately planned or poorly placed. Several variations of the standard procedure and examples of common usage are presented.