• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.201-206
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• 2015

Background Although plastic surgeons daily encounter various facial tumors in the field, reports limited on face are scarce. In our study, we want to provide basic epidemiologic data to help clinicians to decide the proper management for their patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients including age and gender, location and size of the tumor, histopathologic result, recurrence, type of anesthesia and any associated disorders who had undergone a surgical removal of their facial tumors and received the histopathologic report in the same institution between January 2009 and October 2012. Results One hundred eighty-nine patients with 203 non-melanocytic benign tumors were included. The most frequent site of tumors was the central subunit of the forehead, followed by the lateral subunit of the cheek and the auricular unit. Of 36 different histopathologic results, the epidermal cyst was most frequent, followed by lipoma, pilomatricoma and osteoma. Statistical analysis showed that males were dominant in the epidermal cyst and lipoma groups. While, females were dominant in the osteoma and pilomatricoma groups. No associations were found between lesions and other diseases. Conclusions Our study is the at most specific and concentrated study on non-melanocytic benign tumors of the face. We expect the epidemiologic data of our study may help plastic surgeons who are confronted with so many facial lesions in the field to decide on the most proper management for their patients.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 2016

Background The purpose of this study was to identify comprehensive hand injury patterns in different pediatric age groups and to assess their risk factors. Methods This retrospective study was conducted among patients younger than 16-year-old who presented to the emergency room of a general hospital located in Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea, and were treated for an injury of the finger or hand from January 2010 to December 2014. The authors analyzed the medical records of 344 patients. Age was categorized according to five groups. Results A total of 391 injury sites of 344 patients were evaluated for this study. Overall and in each group, male patients were in the majority. With regard to dominant or non-dominant hand involvement, there were no significant differences. Door-related injuries were the most common cause in the age groups of 0 to 3, 4 to 6, and 7 to 9 years. Sport/recreational activities or physical conflict injuries were the most common cause in those aged 10 to 12 and 13 to 15. Amputation and crushing injury was the most common type in those aged 0 to 3 and 4 to 6 years. However, in those aged 10 to 12 and 13 to 15, deep laceration and closed fracture was the most common type. With increasing age, closed injuries tended to increase more sharply than open injuries, extensor tendon rupture more than flexor injuries, and the level of injury moved proximally. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology of hand injuries in the pediatric population.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.644-649
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• 2010

Purpose: As the mean life expectancy of people has been prolonged, and the elderly people who participate in the production activities has been increasing, it is expected that the demand on the replantation of amputated digits in elderly patients would increase. But, there are few studies about the replantation of amputated digits in elderly patients. Therefore, we report treatment outcomes of replantation of amputated digits in elderly patients. Methods: From 1998 to 2008, the replantation was performed in 51 completely amputated digits of 33 patients aged 60 years or older. We performed the replantation in the usual manner. Under the brachial plexus block, the surgical procedures carried out in the following sequence: internal fixation using Kirschner wire, tenorrhaphy, arteriorrhaphy, neurorrhaphy and venorrhaphy. If the arterial ends could not be approximated without tension, a vein graft was performed. Results: Of a total of 51 digits, 46 digits (90%) survived. 13 patients (40%) had underlying medical problem preoperatively. But, in all the patients, there were no postoperative medical complications. As the postoperative surgical complications, excluding five cases of the total necrosis of digit, there were three cases of venous congestion, two cases of arterial insufficiency, seven cases of infection and 16 cases of partial necrosis. Conclusion: Age alone does not affect the survival of replanted digits. Type of injury is the most important factor that affects the survival of replanted digits.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.311-317
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• 2009

Purpose: Traditionally, external bleeding is needed when only an arteriorrhaphy can be performed in cased where a venorrhaphy cannot be done at the initial reconstruction for a zone1 complete amputation. However, this salvage procedure has several iatrogenic complications. Therefore, we did not perform an external bleeding procedure, in cases where external bleeding was not appropriate due to the small size of the stump. Methods: From September 2006 to August 2007, 19 fingertip amputations, among 18 patients, were performed using only arteriorrhaphy without external bleeding; In total 95 fingertip amputations, with venorrhaphy or external bleeding procedures were excluded. The results were reviewed retrospectively to compare survival and complication rates. Results: The survival rate of only arteriorrhaphy without external bleeding is 84.2%. Additional operations for soft tissue problems of total or partial necrosis were performed in 5 cases. Conclusions: We found no difference in the survival and complication rates of only arteriorrhaphy without external bleeding compared to results of only arteriorrhaphy with external bleeding in other articles. Therefore, our results suggest that in some cases with a fingertip amputation, performing arteriorrhaphy only, without external bleeding, might be a better option than external bleeding due to reduced iatrogenic injuries and complications.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.485-490
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• 2005

Fingertip is the end of tactile organ and the part of hand most frequently injured. Fingertip injuries should be evaluated on an individual basis considering patient's overall physical condition, medical history, etiology, time of injury, and anticipated future hand use, and accordingly one of various methods of reconstruction should be selected. Complications after the reconstruction of fingertip injuries have been reported as pain, hypersensitivity, numbness, distal paresthesia, cold intolerance, and atrophy. From January to December 2002, dermofat grafts were performed on 15 patients to correct painful fingertips after injury. The thickness of the soft tissue of fingertip was measured both preoperatively and postoperatively with simple X-ray. To evaluate the improvement of pain, visual analogue scale(VAS) was used through the direct interview with patients. The average of postoperative follow-up period was 10.9 months. The average of increased soft tissue thickness ratio was 88.4%(2.3mm to 3.8mm). The average of preoperative VAS was 7.6, and postoperative VAS was 3. Dermofat graft on fingertip needs a further long-term follow-up study for the absorption ratio of dermofat, however, this procedure is simple and could be done under local anesthesia, and would be a useful alternative procedure to correct painful fingertips with the soft tissue atrophy after injury.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.480-484
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• 2006

Purpose: A lot of surgical techniques were tried to correct extension lag of distal interphalangeal joint. Spiral oblique retinacular ligament reconstruction is the one of correction techniques. Methods: From January 2004 to January 2005, a total of 13 extension lag of distal interphalangeal joint corrections were performed using spiral oblique retinacular ligament reconstruction for 11 patients. After dorsal incision exposing from base of distal phalanx to proximal phalanx, the new ligament(half of lateral band or graft tendon) lies distally at the dorsum of the distal phalanx and passes volarly and proximally along the side of the middle phalanx and anterior and obliquely across the front of the proximal interphalangeal joint to the opposite side of the digit at the proximal phalanx. Results: 5 of 6 mallet finger deformities and 7 swan neck deformities were corrected, which were both extension lag of distal interphalangeal joint and hyperextension of proximal interphalangeal joint. Conclusion: As a result, spiral oblique retinacular ligament reconstruction is an effective and recommendable method for correction of mallet finger deformity and swan neck deformity.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 1997

Radiographs were made of the feet of one hundred and twenty four normal children who were ranged in age from 1 to 13 years. On lateral radiographs that were made with the feet in standing, the talo-first metatarsal, calcaneal pitch and calcaneo-fifth metatarsal angles and arch ratio were measured. Most of the children in this study revealed flattened feet in earlier ages and the mean values were changed with age up to normal range later in the early school ages. These data might provide one of the standard for assessment of the flatfoot in children. However, the diagnosis and treatment of the flatfoot should be based on clinical assessment and radiographic values should not determine clinical management even if the values are beyond the normal range.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.397-403
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• 2012

Background Nonabsorbable sutures are favorable for repairing flexor tendons. However, absorbable sutures have performed favorably in an animal model. Methods Two-strand sutures using the interlocking modified Kessler method with polydioxanone absorbable sutures 4-0 were used to repair completely ruptured flexor tendons in 55 fingers from 41 consecutive patients. The medical records of average 42 follow up weeks were analyzed retrospectively. The data analyzed using the chi-squared test, and Fisher's exact test was used for postoperative complications. The results were compared with those of other studies. Results Among the index, middle, ring, and little fingers were injured in 9, 17, 16, and 13 fingers, respectively. The injury levels varied from zone 1 to 5. Of the 55 digits in our study, there were 26 (47%) isolated flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) injuries and 29 (53%) combined FDP and with flexor digitorum superficialis injuries. Pulley repair was also conducted. Concomitant injuries of blood vessels and nerves were found in 17 patients (23 fingers); nerve injuries occurred in 5 patients (10 fingers). Two patients had ruptures (3.6%), and one patient had two adhesions (3.6%). Using the original Strickland criteria, all the patients were assessed to be excellent or good. Also, fibrosis and long-term foreign body tissue reactions such as stitch granuloma were less likely occurred in our study. Compared to the Cullen's report that used nonabsorbable sutures, there was no significant difference in the rupture or adhesion rates. Conclusions Therefore, this study suggests that appropriate absorbable core sutures can be used safely for flexor tendon repairs.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.636-641
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• 2011

Purpose: There are multiple dependent variables commonly attributed to survival of replanted digits. The ischemia time is thought to be a clinically relevant factor. However, controversy exists as large hand centers have reported successful replant outcomes independent of ischemic time. In this study, we present a single institution experience on the effect of ischemia time on the survival of completely amputated digits. Methods: A retrospective review of a single institution experience was performed. This cohort included all comers who had suffered complete amputation of a digit (Zone 2-4) and underwent replantation from 2003 to 2009. Demographic information as well as injury mechanism, ischemic time, and replantation outcome were recorded for each patient. Chi-square was used to analyze the result. Results: Mean age was 35.5 years old (2-69). Mean replantation survival was 89.5% (37/317). Survival rates were 94, 88, and 88% in respective groups of 0~6, 6~12, of > 12 hours of ischemia time. In chi-square analysis, there was no difference with $p$ value of 0.257. No other independent patient factors showed statistically significant relationship to replant survival rate. In the group with longest ischemia time (12~18 hours) replant survival rate was 88% (37/42). Conclusion: Prolonged ischemia time is commonly believed to be a contributing factor for replant survival. However, our experience has shown that survival rate is uniform up to 18 hours of ischemia.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.571-577
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• 2009

Purpose: The Provision of thin and pliable tissue and the adequate coverage of tendon - gliding surface is necessary for a soft tissue defect of the hand with exposure of bone, tendon and muscle. This report will discuss our experience with anterolateral thigh fascial free flap for the reconstruction of the soft tissue defect of the hand. Methods: Between February 2004 and August 2008, seven patients with full - thickness soft tissue defects of the hand were reconstructed by means of a composite anterolateral thigh fascial free flap. There were soft tissue defects associated with trauma (n=5), scar contracture (n=1) and necrosis due to ischemia (n=1). Flaps were harvested from the anterolateral thigh as adipofascial flaps with only a small sheet of fascia and fatty tissue above it. The fascia and the skin of the donor site was closed directly and delayed split - thickness skin graft was performed. Result: All flaps survived completely. The size of the transferred flap ranged from $2{\times}4cm$ to $5{\times}8cm$. Thin flap coverage was possible without secondary debulking operations. It left minimal donor site morbidity with a linear scar. In one case, the thigh muscle herniation in the donor site was developed. Conclusion: The anterolateral thigh fascial free flap provided thin and pliable tissue which can establish a tendon - gliding mechanism, minimal bulk, minimal donor site morbidity. The disadvantages of this technique were the need for a skin graft and the muscle herniation of donor site.