Summary
Introduction
Dermal substitutes, such as Integra® introduced as a new alternative to our surgical arsenal and its use in burn treatment,
in both acute and chronic phases, have gained great importance.
Objective
The aim of the experiment is to describe the results of the functional evaluation
of patients with burned hands treated with Integra® in both acute and chronic phases.
Material and Methods
A retrospective review of a transversal cohort. Patient characteristics evaluated
were sociodemographic characteristics, burn mechanism, burn extension and depth, treatments
received previous to Integra® and complications related to its use. Clinical and photographic evaluations were
performed evaluating skin elasticity, range of articular movement, prehensile strength,
pain and functional evaluation using the validated 400 Point Evaluation Test.
Results
A total of 17 burned hands in 14 right-handed patients, were treated with Integra®, three being bilateral hand burns. Eleven were treated in the acute phase and in
nine in the scar reconstruction phase. Range of articular motion was complete in 15
of 17 hands. In 88% of the hands, flexible skin coverage was achieved. No statistically
significant difference was observed in prehension strength of the burned hand versus
the contralateral non-burned hand. Sixteen hands had a painless evolution. The 400
Point Evaluation score was 92.8 ± 6.3% (80 – 100%). Nearly four-fifths (79%) of the
patients returned to normal active working activities.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 31, 2011
Accepted:
September 5,
2011
Received:
July 29,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
