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[Hand transplantation and implantation of nerve chips. New developments within hand surgery].

Injuries and diseases of the hand naturally have an enormous impact on hand function and on quality of life, both occupational and social. The majority of hand-injury patients are under 30 years of age. Hand surgery, an established specialty in Sweden since 1969, is of great importance in terms of clinical developments, education and research. In the coming decade, scientific and clinical advances are to be expected in several fields such as nerve injuries including brachial plexus lesion, microsurgery, flexor tendon injuries and tendon transfer. Bioimplant research and new advances at the biotechnological interface will yield new options in nerve reconstruction, microchip implants in the nervous system, and the restoration of muscle-tendon function following injury. Artificial limbs with advanced motor and sensory functions will be important future aids in the rehabilitation of amputees. Transplantation of human hands is another promising reconstructive procedure which may open iup new perspectives in the coming millennium.

Amputation, Surgical↗

Ax injuries of the hand.

OBJECTIVE: To review a series of ax injuries of the hand. DESIGN: Retrospective epidemiological review of 125 cases. MATERIALS: Assessment from the notes of all injuries, with more detailed follow-up of 26 cases. MEASUREMENTS: Levels of injury, surgery required, complications, results, patient satisfaction, methods of prevention. CONCLUSIONS: Ax injuries are rare. They usually affect the thumb and index finger of the nondominant hand. As with all hand injuries, expertise in dealing with bone, tendon, nerve, and skin cover is essential. Even "minor" injuries may give rise to considerable morbidity. Our complication rate in replantation was 50%. Care should be taken here not to compromise the result by attempting to maintain the length of the bony skeleton. The long-term results (at 11 months to 12 years) were generally satisfactory, but cold intolerance may persist for many years. As with all accidents, prevention would be better than cure. Neither we nor the patients could think of any way of significantly reducing the incidence of these accidents. However, holding the ax by the neck seemed a common way of sustaining injury.

Adolescent↗

Injuries from hand grenades in civilian settings.

Four cases of hand grenade detonations in civilian life with homicidal intent are reported. The detonations always occurred in close proximity to the victims but there were only two fatalities out of seven victims directly attributable to the hand grenades. The relatively low mortality rate results from the ballistic characteristics of hand grenade missiles such as low mass and sectional density. This leads to rapid deceleration and thus to a poor penetration capacity of intermediate targets and tissue. Window glass at a distance of 2 m was not perforated in one case and the vast majority of fragment wounds showed a short wound tract of small diameter. The potential for physical activity can be unaffected even after a detonation inside a car. However, body parts almost in contact with the hand grenade, such as in a struggle, suffer large lacerations and comminuted fractures. At a distance, the chance of striking a vulnerable body region is increased by the multiple missiles but the wounding potential clearly decreases with increasing distance due to rapid deceleration and decreasing fragment cloud density. The effective range of detonation shock waves from hand grenades is very short and can only contribute to wounding in close-to-contact detonations. The forensic reconstruction is based on the directed radial character of the forces generated and on the sharply decreasing intensity of these forces with increasing distance from the detonation.

Autopsy↗

[Restore hand's function after electric injuries at the wrist by a free composite flap].

OBJECTIVE: To introduce a new free composite flap for the treatment of electric injuries of hands, which can repair the skin, blood vessels, tendons and nerves injuries in just one operation. It may improve the prognosis of electric hand injuries. METHODS: 5 patients with electric injuries at wrist were treated by the free composite flap. The procedure is followed: The composite flap was harvested from medial lateral crural skin flap. Its blood supply was from tibial posterior vessels. The perforans arteries to flap and the branches to plantaris were preserved, and the nerve suralis and tendon plantaris were compound into the flap by carefully dissection of crural fascia. At the same time, 3-4 tendons of extensor digitorum longus were inserted into the superficial crural fascia. Thus, blood vessels, nerves and tendons were combined into the flap before transplantation. The composite flap was then transplanted into the recipient site of the electric injuries of hand to repair the long defects of the skin, blood vessels,nerves and tendons in one operation. The evaluation methods of the prognosis are the follows: the active motion function of finger was assessed by flexion and extension function of the fingers. The sensibility function was tested by the standards recommended by British Medical Association. RESULTS: The patients were followed up from 3 to 12 months. All the flaps were survived. Six months after operation, the flexion distance from tip to palmar crease and extension distance from tip to horizontal level of 3 patients were 4-5 cm and 3-4 cm respectively, and the other 2 patients were recovered from 6 cm and 5 cm to 4 cm and 4 cm respectively. The sensibility of finger skin reached to S2 level, and skin temperature rose. CONCLUSION: The free medial lateral crural composite flap was an ideal one to cure electric injuries at wrist, for it repairs skin, nerves, vessels and tendons defects in just one operation.

Adult↗

The rate of upper-extremity deep-structure injuries through small penetrating lacerations.

Despite the abundance of epidemiologic studies concerning hand injuries, there is no study that emphasizes the significance of the initial laceration size. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence of tendon, nerve, and artery injuries that may result from small, penetrating lacerations of the hand and forearm. A total of 226 patients with small lacerations were included in the study. Glass (68.7%) and knife (31.3%) lacerations were the only etiological factors. One hundred thirty-four patients (59.3%) had at least 1 deep-structure injury. One hundred twenty-four patients (92.5%) had at least 1 tendon, 25 patients (18.7%) had at least 1 nerve, and 20 patients (14.9%) had at least 1 artery injury. Extensor tendons were more commonly injured (61.3%). Combination injuries were found in 20 (14.9%) patients. The most-encountered combination was the injury of all 3 structures. Small laceration injuries of the upper extremity have the potential to conceal an underlying deep injury.

Adult↗

[Primary plasty of deep flexor tendons during complicated injury of hand].

In treatment of recent associated damages of finger flexor tendons and nerves the authors have developed the methods of primary-single-stepped and prumary-two-stepped restorative operations, including reinsertion, plasty or endoprosthetics of deep flexor tendon in combination with microsurgic epineural suture. It has been utilized an atraumatic silicon tendon endoprosthesis of proper construction. Excellent functional results of treatment have been obtained in 52.5% of observations, good--in 21.9%.

Adolescent↗

Skin microcirculation in patients with sequelae from local cold injuries.

The microcirculation in the skin was assessed in 31 patients with sequelae from local cold injuries (LCI) in the extremities. All patients reported cold intolerance 3-4 years after the primary cold injury, which they sustained during military service. The used methods were laser Doppler fluxmetry, transcutaneous oxygen tension (TCpO2) and vital capillaroscopy. Neurovascular reflexes were stimulated by deep inspiration, digital cuff occlusion of venous and arterial circulation, neck cooling with an ice bag and water immersion at 5 and 15 degrees C. Unaffected lower or upper extremities were also investigated as part of a search for generalized effects of LCI. During immersion in ice water the cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD or Lewis' 'hunting' reaction) was profoundly delayed or abolished in the affected limbs. These also showed the lowest skin temperatures after 15-20 min of immersion. Additionally, a delayed CIVD was found in the unaffected feet of patients with a previous hand injury. TCpO2 resting values were decreased in the patients, but oxygen reappearance time, oxygen recovery index, postocclusive reactive hyperemia and the venoarterial reflex were normal. No capillary abnormalities were found. In conclusion, LCI induces disturbances in the CIVD, impairs cold tolerance and increases the risk of future cold injuries. These data demonstrate disturbances of reflex mechanisms mediated by the central nervous system. Neurophysiologic factors seem to be more important than ischemic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of late sequelae from LCI.

Adult↗

Treatment of self-injury and hand mouthing following inconclusive functional analyses.

Numerous studies have used functional analyses to prescribe interventions for severe behavior disorders. The majority of these studies have focused on behavior that is clearly maintained by socially mediated reinforcement, such as contingent access to attention, tangibles, or escape from instructional demands. However, a significant proportion of functional analyses do not yield conclusive results. We examined interventions for 3 children with severe disabilities following inconclusive functional analyses. First, preferred stimuli were identified for each child via a stimulus preference assessment. Second, a functional analysis was conducted for 2 of the 3 children. High rates of aberrant behavior were seen even (if not especially) in no-interaction sessions. The 3rd child was observed for several consecutive no-interaction sessions; behavior persisted in this condition. Third, interventions based on environmental enrichment were analyzed in an analogue setting. For all of the children, environmental enrichment decreased aberrant behavior if preferred stimuli were used in the procedure. To obtain further reductions in aberrant behavior, explicit reinforcement of toy play was required for 2 children, and a brief (5-s) time-out was necessary with 1 child. Finally, effects of treatment carried over to the school or home environment following teacher or family training. Results are discussed in the context of basic reinforcement principles and future directions for research.

Child, Preschool↗

Reconstructive surgery of roller injuries of the hand.

Eleven patients with roller injuries to the upper extremity are described. Nine were treated initially; two were referred for treatment within 3 weeks after injury. Six patients were injured by kneading machines in bakeries, two by hot dry-cleaning mangles, two by industrial rolling machines, and one by a transmission belt which acted as a roller. The tissue damage depends on (1) the space between the rollers, (2) the speed of the rollers, (3) the hardness of the rollers, (4) the temperature of the rollers, and (5) how violently the patient attempts to withdraw the entrapped part. Lesions may be closed, consisting of a compression of the soft tissues, which may result in skin necrosis, or a tearing and separation of the skin and soft tissues away from the deep fascia (more common on the dorsal surface of the hand), or destruction of skin and deep tissue because of burns. Closed injuries usually respond to conservative care, although decompression sometimes is necessary. Experience gained from treating these 11 patients indicates that the inexperienced surgeon often tries to replace distally based flaps. Such flaps usually die and predispose to deep infection. If the condition of the wound permits, primary skin grafts should be applied; but if the bed is of poor quality, skin grafting can be delayed for several days. If it is necessary to protect exposed deep structures, they should be covered with immediate pedicle flaps. It is better to use skin from an uninjured area for a free skin graft than to use the avulsed skin as a graft. Distant flaps should be used if secondary reconstruction is anticipated. In circumferential skin loss, a combination of pedicle skin and free skin grafts is better than encircling the part with a pedicle flap. The thumb and radial fingers should be preserved, but the ulnar fingers are expendible in severe injuries. By amputating parts of fingers, reconstruction often is simplified.

Adolescent↗

Osteomyelitis of the hand due to Torulopsis holmii.

Yeasts belonging to the genus Torulopsis, though generally considered saprophytes, are capable of causing serious illness in compromised patients. Torulopsis infections in patients with no apparent underlying disease are rare. We have described a previously healthy man who had osteomyelitis due to Torulopsis holmii as a complication of a penetrating hand injury. Despite in vitro susceptibility of the organism to amphotericin B and flucytosine and prolonged therapy with these agents, the infection relapsed after an apparent initial response.

Accidents↗