title: Tissue-expanded radial forearm free flap in neck burn contracture.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
authors: J G
authors: JG
authors: Kenney
authors: S
authors: S
authors: DiMercurio
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Angel
mesh_terms: 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