title: Advances in treating skin defects of the hand: skin substitutes and negative-pressure wound therapy.
abstract: Surgeons and scientists have been developing alternative methods of hand reconstruction that may play an adjunctive role to, or completely supplant, more traditional reconstructive modalities. This article provides an overview of these emerging techniques, with an emphasis on skin substitutes and negative-pressure wound therapy as they apply to the treatment of soft tissue defects of the hand. The indications, contraindications, and relative advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are discussed in detail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine, University of Washington, WA, USA. ajwatt50@gmail.com
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.forename: Jeffrey B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.forename: Jerry I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003094:Collagen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: C042816:Biobrane; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; C114835:integra artificial skin; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D003094:Collagen