Annals of plastic surgery
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Annals of plastic surgery · Jun 2008
Reconstruction of advanced-stage electrical hand injury in a one stage procedure using a prefabricated medial lateral crural composite flap.
To explore the possibility of a one stage restoration of protective sensation and finger flexion after electrical burn of the hand, 5 patients with electrical injuries at the wrist were treated by a new free composite flap, originating from the medial lateral crural skin flap. This flap can repair skin, blood vessels, tendons, and nerves in a one-stage procedure. The harvest of the medial lateral crural flap is described. ⋯ At 6 months, 2 patients improved from 6 cm and 5 cm to 4 cm and 4 cm, respectively. The sensation reached to S2 level, and skin temperature rose. The medial lateral crural composite flap is an ideal, one-stage method to restore protective sensation and finger flexion for advanced-stage patients who have suffered severe high voltage electrical injuries in the wrist.
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Annals of plastic surgery · Jun 2008
Full-thickness skin grafts: maximizing graft take using negative pressure dressings to prepare the graft bed.
Full thickness skin grafts (FTSGs) remain a good option for resurfacing defects of the face, neck, and dorsum of the feet. It results in soft, pliable, functional skin with minimal contraction. However, FTSG may result in patchy or irregular "take" resulting in recurrent contractures and pigmentary discrepancies. This study examines the use of a negative pressure dressing (NPD) to increase FTSG take. ⋯ The results of this study confirm that the use of NPD enhances FTSG take.