Challenges and Solutions in Prosthetic Fitting of Digits after Flap Reconstruction.

Surgical reconstruction can restore length and function, but cannot adequately resolve the problem of disfigurement. Prosthetic fitting can play a complementary role in enhancing the aesthetic outcomes post reconstruction. However, complex reconstruction involving flaps coupled with the surgical imperative for limb length preservation can lead to outcomes where the reconstructed stumps are challenging to fit with prosthesis. This article describes how prosthetic fitting was tackled in a case of a triple-digit amputation after reconstruction that presented with finger stumps that were bulky, long and stiff in extension contracture, compounded by the presence of substantive scar tissues. We discuss major prosthesis modifications that were unconventional but necessary to enable fitting, the techniques involved, as well as the aesthetic and functional considerations behind the modifications. The results showed that enhanced aesthetic appearance, together with a marginal improvement in hand function, was achieved post-prosthetically, meeting the patient's and the clinical team's fitting objective. Level of Evidence: Level V (Therapeutic).

Novices can assess microsurgery performance, and this is enhanced using the Manual Suture Parameters for Training and Assessment (M-SParTA) scoring system.

This study explores how novices could effectively evaluate the quality of microsurgical suturing. That would be enhanced with using a novel Manual Suture Parameters for Training and Assessment (M-SParTA), which supported novices with guidance on the objective parameters, in order to increased the accuracy of scoring ability. We also propose the following initial framework to train novices in microsuturing using a standardised task: 1) Exposure; 2) Assessment; 3) Hands-on and self-assessment. The independent learning cycle with targeted supervision provides novices with greater autonomy and a less stressful environment that could enhance skills training.

Secondary Procedures after Severe Upper Extremity Injury.

Upper extremity trauma is one of the most common types of injuries, accounting for 20 to 40 percent of injured patients presenting to the emergency department. In severe upper extremity injury, the likelihood of secondary procedures to improve function and resolve outstanding clinical problems is high. Secondary procedures are performed later than initial primary surgery, usually after wound healing and with a discernible time gap of days, weeks or occasionally longer. They should be considered as separate procedures from the primary surgery, with due diligence given to planning for it. When approaching secondary procedures, the key principles are anchored in early preparation, patient engagement, optimal timing and sequencing, reviewing and considering alternatives, and finally knowing when to stop. Although secondary procedures after upper extremity injuries can be a complex undertaking, the careful application of these principles and considerations will optimise outcomes.

Pediatric Hand and Wrist Fractures.

Hand and wrist fractures are common in the pediatric population. Accurate diagnosis relies on the understanding of the physeal anatomy and carpal ossification. Treatment of these fractures is largely influenced by physeal biology and compliance with treatment. A majority have a favorable outcome with nonoperative treatment. Operative treatment should be considered in patients with clinical deformity, open fractures, and significant fracture displacement. Physeal-friendly surgical approaches and implants should be used to minimize the sequelae of physeal injury.

External bleeding versus dermal pocketing for distal digital replantation without venous anastomosis.

Venous congestion in distal digital replantations is a common problem as suitable veins are not always available. We compared two methods of venous decongestion, external bleeding ( n = 15) and dermal pocketing ( n = 28) carried out when venous anastomosis was not possible. The findings of this small study suggest that neither method of venous decongestion is clearly better than the other. Level of evidence: IV.

The effects of bi-functional anti-adhesion scaffolds on flexor tendon healing in a rabbit model.

Progressive tendon adhesion is a major challenge in flexor tendon repair. The authors developed a bifunctional anti-adhesion scaffold and hypothesized that its application would reduce adhesion formation and deliver mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to enhance tendon healing. The scaffold was fabricated by an electrospinning machine before surface modification. The flexor tendons of 29 New Zealand rabbits underwent surgical repair and randomized to control, scaffold and scaffold loaded with MSC group. At 3 and 8 weeks post-surgery, range of motion (ROM), biomechanical properties, and histology were examined. There was no significant increase in ROM and biomechanical properties between the three groups. The histology showed successful delivery of MSCs but no significant difference in nuclear morphometry. This barrier delivers and retains MSCs within the tendon repair site. However, its sheet form and wrapping around the repair site may not be optimal for tendon healing. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2605-2614, 2018.

The Effects of Autologous Platelet-Rich Fibrin on Flexor Tendon Healing in a Rabbit Model.

PURPOSE: Platelet-rich plasma containing large amounts of growth factors is purported to increase repaired flexor tendon strength. However, the use of bovine thrombin has the risk of antibody formation. We evaluated the effects of the newer generation autologous platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on flexor tendon healing. METHODS: We performed surgical repair of 32 flexor tendons from the index and ring digits of the hind paws of 8 New Zealand white rabbits. In the PRF group, the PRF membrane was either wrapped around or interposed between the repair sites. At 3 weeks after surgery, the tested tendons were subjected to range of motion analysis, cross-sectional area measurement, biomechanics testing, and histological analysis. RESULTS: The results showed no significant increase in range of motion in the PRF group compared with the control group, but there was a significant increase in cross-sectional area of the tendons in the PRF group. The biomechanical testing suggested that the control had a higher load to failure and stress to failure but similar stiffness and modulus to the PRF group. CONCLUSIONS: The PRF did not have a major influence on cellular organization. It also had an undesirable effect on the biomechanical properties of repaired flexor tendons. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings of this study suggest PRF may, in certain situations, hinder rather than enhance, the healing for repaired flexor tendons.

Factors associated with failure of free gracilis flap in reconstruction of acute traumatic leg defects.

BACKGROUND: Possible factors associated with failure of free gracilis flaps were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All gracilis free flaps used to reconstruct acute traumatic leg defects in a 5 year period were collected. This included open fractures of the tibia and/or fibula in which a gracilis free flap was used for reconstruction. Pre-op factors included age, ethnicity, gender, presence of diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, or coagulation disorders; days from trauma to flap surgery, Gustilo class, presence of a concurrent ipsilateral femur fracture, and use of CT angiogram to determine adequacy of blood supply. Intra-op factors included type of arterial anastomosis (end to side or end to end), presence of arterial transection, initial arterial anastomotic failure, initial venous anastomotic failure, use of systemic vasoconstrictors by anaesthetists for correction of hypotension, and use of modulators of the coagulation mechanism (dextran/heparin). Post-op factors included post-op day when flap was removed and use of modulators of the coagulation mechanism. RESULTS: Patients with a concurrent ipsilateral femur fracture had a 9.67 (95% CI of OR = 1.32-70.96) times increased risk of flap failure compared to patients without an associated femur fracture. CONCLUSION: The finding of increased risk of free gracilis flap failure for coverage of leg defects in patients with ipsilateral femur fractures has implications on flap selection and pre-operative counselling. In such a situation, a non-microvascular option could be safer if it is available as an alternative.

Biomechanical comparison of different suturing techniques in rabbit medial gastrocnemius muscle laceration repair.

INTRODUCTION: Skeletal muscle laceration is a common injury. Repair of disrupted delicate tissue is still a clinical challenge for surgeons. A few different muscle repair techniques have been reported. However, the best muscle repair technique has not been identified. The aim of the present study is to compare the biomechanical features of different repair techniques in muscles to identify the most effective one. MATERIAL AND METHODS: New Zealand white rabbits (2.5-3 kg) were euthanized and medial gastrocnemius muscles were isolated. The muscles were completely transected with scalpels and then repaired by 3 different techniques, namely, (1) 2-strand mattress, (2) 4-strand Kessler (with epitendinous suture), and (3) Mason-Allen. To measure suture performance, the repaired specimens were mounted onto a mechanical testing machine Instron 5543. The muscles were loaded to failure at a constant speed of 60 mm/min. Data collected from Merlin v5.31 software were used to compute the biomechanical properties of each specimen. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the mean maximum load of Kessler group (15.5 N) and Mason-Allen group (13.2 N), whereas the mean maximum load of the control (Mattress) group (4.4 N) was significantly smaller than the other 2 groups. Moreover, Kessler stitches were the stiffest among the 3. It is noteworthy that the mechanisms of failure were different: Kessler stitches were all pulled out longitudinally, whereas Mason-Allen stitches transmitted load across the laceration and ruptures occur at areas adjacent to the stitches, indicating that muscle is the weakest element in the biomechanical testing. CONCLUSIONS: Both Kessler and Mason-Allen stitches have shown better biomechanical features compared with the control group. Further study has to be done to compare the effect of these 2 techniques on muscle regeneration and scar formation in an in vivo model.

Distal radius fractures: an epidemiological review.

OBJECTIVE: Distal radius fractures are among the most common fractures encountered in clinical practice. Although multiple epidemiological studies have been done in Western populations, there is a lack of data within Asia. Our study aims to fill this knowledge gap. METHODS: This study included all patients aged 16 years and above with distal radius fractures seen between November 2008 and May 2009 by the Department of Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery at the Singapore National University Hospital. A retrospective analysis was done. Information captured included clinical data, hand dominance, AO classification of fractures, mechanism of injury, associated injuries as well as treatment modalities. RESULTS: Of the 431 fractures, 238 were males, 181 were females. These fractures occur at all ages, peaking at the 50 to 60 years age group. The peak incidence of distal radius fractures in females occurred in the perimenopausal age group, whereas the incidence for males peaked between age of 30 to 50. By AO classification, 53% were type A; 13% were type B and 32% were type C. A fall on the outstretched hand from a standing position is the most common mechanism of injury. As the intensity of the injury mechanism increased, the percentage of type C fractures increased correspondingly. Older patients were more likely to be treated conservatively compared to younger patients. AO severity classification correlated well with the clinician's decision to surgically fix the fracture. No correlation between hand dominancy and fracture site found was found. CONCLUSION: We compared our data with that of previous similar studies, and found similarities as well as differences in results. Nevertheless, the epidemiogical data gathered in this study has added to our knowledge of distal radius fractures in an Asian population.

The effect of fibrin glue on tendon healing and adhesion formation in a rabbit model of flexor tendon injury and repair.

Fibrin glue has been widely used in a variety of surgical procedures to promote haemostasis and tissue bonding. It can also be used as a cell carrier for stem cells on tendons. However, the data about the effect of fibrin glue on flexor tendon healing is very limited. The present study examined the role of fibrin glue TISSEEL® in a rabbit model of flexor tendon injury. The rabbits were killed 3 or 8 weeks after the operation. The range-of-motion of the fingers and biomechanical properties of tendons were measured and compared between the control group and TISSEEL-treated group. The findings have shown that the range-of-motion in the TISSEEL-treated group was significantly different from that of the control group at 3 weeks after the operation. However, there is no significant difference in range-of-motion at 8 weeks after the operation. Moreover, there is no significant difference in biomechanical properties between the control group and TISSEEL-treated group. The results indicate that TISSEEL may attenuate adhesion formation at the early stage of flexor tendon repair. However, there is no significant effect on biomechanical features during tendon repair. In conclusion, this study has shown that it may be safe to use TISSEEL in tissue engineering applications for tendon regeneration and healing.

Stem cells and biological approaches to treatment of wrist problems.

Stem cells are being intensively studied for their potential applications in clinical medicine. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an important subset of stem cells which are attractive for application in musculoskeletal disorders. In this article, we review the characteristics of these MSCs that are relevant to clinical practice but that are still largely experimental in nature.

A biomechanical comparison of 3 loop suture materials in a 6-strand flexor tendon repair technique.

PURPOSE: The braided polyblend (FiberWire) suture is recognized for its superiority in tensile strength in flexor tendon repair. The purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical performance of 3 loop-suture materials used in a locking 6-strand flexor tendon repair configuration: braided polyblend (FiberLoop 4-0), cable nylon (Supramid Extra II 4-0), and braided polyester (Tendo-Loop 4-0). We hypothesized that, using this technique, the braided polyblend suture would give superior tensile strength compared with the other 2 suture materials. METHODS: We divided 30 fresh porcine flexor tendons transversely and repaired each with 1 of the 3 suture materials using a modified Lim-Tsai 6-strand suture technique. We loaded the repaired tendons to failure using a materials testing machine and collected data on the mechanism of failure, ultimate tensile strength, gap strength, and stiffness. RESULTS: Failure mechanisms for the repaired specimens were as follows: the braided polyblend had 50% suture breakage and 50% suture pullout; the cable nylon had 100% suture breakage; and the braided polyester had 80% suture breakage and 20% suture pullout. Specimens repaired with the braided polyblend suture had the highest mean ultimate tensile strength (97 N; standard deviation, 22) and the highest mean gap force (35 N; standard deviation, 7). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the findings of previous studies showing superior strength of the braided polyblend suture. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We were able to achieve up to 124 N in ultimate tensile strength and 48 N of gap force with this suture in porcine tendons. This gives greater confidence in starting immediate controlled passive or active rehabilitation after repair of flexor tendon injuries.

Hand fractures in children: epidemiology and misdiagnosis in a tertiary referral hospital.

PURPOSE: To determine the local epidemiology of pediatric hand fractures and the rate of misdiagnosis. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on children aged 17 years and younger who were referred for actual or suspected metacarpal and phalangeal fractures. Medical records were reviewed for age at the time of injury, sex, fracture pattern, venue where the injury was sustained, injury mechanism, and diagnoses made by the referring doctor and hand surgeon. Differing diagnoses were considered misdiagnoses. The misdiagnosis rate was calculated as the percentage of misdiagnoses over the number of referrals. RESULTS: Of 204 cases reviewed, emergency physicians referred 146 cases (72%), and primary health care physicians referred the rest. There were 193 cases of actual fractures in 181 patients and 16 cases of misdiagnosis. The fracture incidence peaked at 14 and 15 years. The median ages of children sustaining fractures of the distal phalanges, proximal phalanges, and metacarpals were 9, 12, and 15 years, respectively. The proximal phalanx was most commonly fractured (95 cases, 49%), as was the fifth ray (78 cases, 40%). Most fractures occurred at school (79 cases, 44%). Sports-related injury was the leading cause of fractures (70 cases, 39%). The misdiagnosis rate was 8% (16 of 204). The leading cause of misdiagnosis was misinterpretation of epiphyses (6 of 16), followed by missing multiple fractures (3 of 16). CONCLUSIONS: The higher fracture incidence in teenagers is likely related to sports participation. Sports accounted for proximal fractures in older children, whereas young children sustained distal fractures through crushing injuries. Although the misdiagnosis rate seemed low, it might reflect that emergency physicians, who referred most of the cases, were adept at diagnosing fractures. To improve diagnostic accuracy, doctors should familiarize themselves with the location of epiphyses and look carefully for multiple fractures. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Economic and Decision Analysis IV.

Volar plating for unstable proximal interphalangeal joint dorsal fracture-dislocations.

PURPOSE: To report our results of open reduction internal fixation with volar mini plate and screw fixation for unstable dorsal fracture dislocations (DFDs) of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 13 consecutive DFDs of the PIP joint treated with volar mini plate and screw fixation, measuring both clinical and radiological outcomes. RESULTS: The age range of our patients was 15 to 56 years (average, 33 y). Six injuries were related to work, 5 to sports, and 2 to motor vehicle accidents. Of the 13 DFDs, 6 were comminuted. Articular involvement ranged from 30% to 70% (average, 44%). The average time to surgery was 7 days (range, 0-23 d). Patients had follow-up of 12 to 60 months (average, 25 mo). Four patients had a postoperative course complicated by plate and screw removal at an average of 4 months later, either as part of a secondary procedure to improve range of motion or owing to patient request. All patients returned to their original occupation. Of the 13 patients, 11 were satisfied with the result, and 12 of 13 had either no or mild pain. All 13 DFDs united in good alignment but 3 showed degenerative changes. Average grip strength was 85% of the unaffected side, and average active PIP joint and distal interphalangeal joint motion arcs were 75° and 65°, respectively. Average Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was 4 (range, 0-9). All patients had non-tender swelling of the proximal interphalangeal joints but no signs of flexor tenosynovitis or infection. CONCLUSIONS: Fixation of unstable PIP joint DFDs via a volar approach is technically feasible with mini plates and screws. This treatment allows early active range of motion and provides good objective and subjective outcomes; however, noteworthy complications occurred in 39% of patients. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

Application of the dorsal metacarpal artery perforator flap for resurfacing soft-tissue defects proximal to the fingertip.

BACKGROUND: The dorsal metacarpal artery perforator flap is a versatile solution for resurfacing soft-tissue defects of fingers. The authors present their experience in applying this flap for a variety of finger wounds for which conventional means may not be amenable. METHODS: Fifty-eight dorsal metacarpal artery perforator flaps were used to resurface 60 finger soft-tissue defects in 56 patients over a 5-year period. Fifty-two patients were men and their average age was 37 years. This flap was used to reconstruct soft-tissue defects after débridement of infected wounds in 28 patients, traumatic wounds in 26 patients, and electrical burns in two patients. RESULTS: The average flap size was 4.6 × 2.3 cm; 34 flaps were based on the second dorsal metacarpal artery perforator, 14 were based on the third dorsal metacarpal artery perforator, and 10 were based on the fourth dorsal metacarpal artery perforator. Twenty-one flaps were used to resurface defects distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint, and 37 flaps were used to resurface defects over the proximal interphalangeal joint and proximal to it. Skin grafting was needed to close the donor defect in seven patients. Complications included venous congestion in six flaps and arterial insufficiency in three flaps, with total loss of two flaps and infection in one case. CONCLUSION: The dorsal metacarpal artery perforator flap is a thin, pliable flap that is simple to raise, has minimal donor-site morbidity, and can reliably cover soft-tissue defects up to the proximal half of the middle phalanx. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.