Summary
Severe forearm injuries caused by machinery such as a power saw represented about
0.2% of all upper limb injuries operated on in the plastic surgery section of our
institute between 1993 and 1997. These are complex and contaminated injuries with
severe damage to skin, muscles, tendons, nerves, vessels and bones. Primary repair
or reconstruction of all the divided vital structures was carried out in our series
of four patients, including one 4-cm cable nerve graft for a median nerve defect.
After an average 22-month follow up, the functional results showed grade M4 motor
recovery and better than grade S3+ sensory recovery of the hand in all four patients.
We suggest that a definitive primary procedure is best when possible. This will achieve
a better functional outcome from early neural regeneration, and will reduce the frequency
of secondary procedures, cause less scarring, and shorten the duration of hospital
stays and rehabilitation periods.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 22, 2007
Accepted:
October 20,
2006
Received:
October 19,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
