Tissue-expanded radial forearm free flap in neck burn contracture.
Neck contracture after burn injury can result in severe functional as well as aesthetic deformities. Contracture can recur even after wide and complete release and full-thickness skin grafting. Recurrence is partly due to the inherent difficulties in both early postoperative immobilization and the required long-term splinting. When adjacent tissues are also burned, adequate local tissue for reconstruction may not be available; therefore, free-tissue transfer may be necessary. The large surface area that is required after adequate release may be provided by tissue expansion before free-tissue transfer. In the case presented the use of tissue-expanded radial forearm free flap for the reconstruction of a recurrent neck contracture is described.
Kenney
J G
JG
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
DiMercurio
S
S
Angel
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery*; D003286:Contracture / Q000601:surgery*; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D012008:Recurrence; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000379:methods