title: The tertiary management of pretibial lacerations.
abstract: Pretibial lacerations remain one of the commonest yet most neglected conditions facing emergency departments and plastic surgeons alike. Furthermore, these injuries afflict the most vulnerable groups of adults - the elderly and the infirm. It is essential therefore to have an approach to pretibial lacerations based on best available evidence, in order to optimize wound outcomes, but perhaps more importantly, to safeguard the general health of the vulnerable individual. We present an evidence-based approach to the tertiary management of these injuries and propose a treatment algorithm that we have utilized in our unit to successfully manage 40% of tertiary referrals of pretibial lacerations in a conservative manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Queen Victoria Hospital, Holtye Rd., East Grinstead RH19 3DZ, United Kingdom. stevenjlo@gmail.com
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hallam
authors.forename: Shona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cubison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001458:Bandages; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D019468:Disease Management; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D022125:Lacerations / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D015996:Survival Rate; D055512:Tertiary Prevention; D013977:Tibia; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology