[Microsurgical repair of skin-degloving injury of whole hand or foot].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical effects of the microsurgical treatment for the skin-degloving injury of the whole hand or foot.


METHODS
From March 1984 to October 2001, we treated 6 cases of skin-degloving injury of the whole hand and foot. In 2 cases of skin-degloving hands, one was treated with free great omentum transplantation plus skin graft, the other with pedical abdominal S-shaped skin flap as well as mid-thick skin graft. In 4 cases of skin-degloving injury of the foot, 2 cases was repaired with free latissimus dosi musculocutaneous flap, 1 case with distall-based lateral skin flap of the leg and 1 case with free tensor fasciae latae muscle flap. The flap size ranged from 7 cm x 9 cm to 22 cm x 15 cm. One case was operated on the emergency stage, the other 5 cases on the delayed stage. The delayed time ranged from 2 to 14 days with an average of 6.6 days.


RESULTS
All the flaps survived. After 1-2 year follow-up, the appearance and function of the hand and the foot were good.


CONCLUSIONS
Microsurgery technique in repairing skin-degloving injury of the whole hand and foot can achieve good results. The keys to success are thorough debridement of the recipient area, appropriate selection of the donor site, good vascular anastomosis and active postoperative rehabilitation.
Zhou
Li-rong
LR
Microsurgical Center, Wusong Central Hospital of Shanghai, Baoshan, Shanghai, P. R. China, 200940.
Li
Jun
J
Wang
Wei
W
D000328:Adult; D005528:Foot; D018409:Foot Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D009132:Muscles / Q000637:transplantation; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply