This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by GOHLA, T. Articles by LANZ, U. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by GOHLA, T. Articles by LANZ, U. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Non-Vascularized Free Toe Phalanx Transplantation in the Treatment of Symbrachydactyly and Constriction Ring Syndrome

From the Klinik für Handchirurgie, Rhön-Klinikum, Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany

Correspondence: Dr Thomas Gohla, Department of Hand-, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-Burn Center-BG-Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Plastic and Hand Surgery of the University of Heidelberg; Ludwig-Guttmann-Strasse 13-67071 Ludwigshafen A. RH. Germany, Tel.: +49 621 6810 3475; fax: +49 621 6810 3476. E-mail: t.gohla{at}bgu-ludwishafen.de

Forty-eight patients underwent a total number of 113 non-vascularized free toe phalanx transplantations for congenital short digits between 1975 and 2003, a mean number of 2.3 transplanted phalanges per patient. The mean age at the time of initial surgery was 3.6 years (range 6 months to 21 years). The follow-up time ranged from 4 months to 14 years with a mean of 6 years. Sixty-four phalanges showed radiographically measured growth, 22 phalanges showed signs of resorption, while 27 phalanges showed neither growth nor resorption. Resorption increased with patient age. Three patients developed donor site problems. The optimum timing for initial surgery is as early as possible because of the safer and greater growth potential and less resorption of the transplanted phalanges. Non-vascularized free toe phalanx transplantations offer a simple and safe method of lengthening with a significant improvement of hand function.

Key Words: toe phalanx transplantation • non-vascularized bone graft • symbrachydactyly • constriction ring syndrome • aphalangia

Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume), Vol. 30, No. 5, 446-451 (2005)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsb.2005.06.003


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?