• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.179-185
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• 2002

The wrist and forearm are a frequently damaged area in high tension electrical injury as an input or output of the current. Electrical burns affecting the wrist and forearm may produce full thickness necrosis of the skin and damage deep vital structures beneath the eschar, affecting the local tendons, nerves, even bones and joints which result in serious dysfunction of the hand. From January 1997 to December 2001, we had treated 20 patients with high tension electrical burn in the wrist and forearm using anterolateral thigh free flap. Average follow up period were 24 months and we get satisfactory results both in functional and aesthetic aspects. This flap is considered useful in one-stage reconstruction of wide and large soft tissue defect combined with arterial injuries.

• Journal of the Korean Burn Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.58-65
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• 2019

Wound caused by high-tension electrical burns is difficult to manage because the wound is deep and complex. The wound is progressively necrotic due to microvascular injury resulting in deep tissue exposure. So, coverage of the wound at the entry point and the exit point is cumbersome, often requiring flap coverage. We experienced a case of one patient for peroneal artery perforator free flap coverage on the palm of the right hand of the entry point of electrical burn. The left foot wound of electrical exit point was covered by full thickness skin graft. Also a small wound was on the left side of the lower back was the exit point of electrical burn. The lower back wound was healed and recurred repeatedly after burn. On postburn day 6 month, through the radiologic exam, metal shadow was identified in the left gluteus muscle forming chronic sinus. We explored the wound of sinus and a foreign body was identified in the sac as multi braid wires thin as hair. According to the patient's past history, we suspected that the back wound was caused by electrical burn injury through the wires.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2008

Purpose: The hand is frequently affected area in high voltage electrical burn injury as an input or output sites. Electrical burn affecting the hand may produce full thickness necrosis of the skin and damage deep structures beneath the eschar, affecting the tendon, nerve, vessel, even bone which result in serious dysfunction of the hand. As promising methods for the reconstruction of the hand defects in electrical burn patients, we have used the peroneal perforator free flaps. Methods: From March 2005 to June 2006, we applied peroneal perforator free flap to five patients with high tension electrical burn in the hand. Vascular pedicle ranged from 4cm to 5cm and flap size was from $4{\times}2.5cm$ to $7{\times}4cm$. Donor site was closed primarily.Results: All flaps survived completely. There was no need to sacrifice any main artery in the lower leg, and there was minimal morbidity at donor site. During the follow-ups, we got satisfactory results both in hand function and in aesthetic aspects.Conclusion: The peroneal perforator flap is a very thin, pliable flap with minimal donor site morbidity and is suitable for the reconstruction of small and medium sized wound defect, especially hand with electrical burn injury.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 1998

With the advent of microvascular free-tissue transfer, this single stage resurfacing method for large scar and soft tissue defects around the wrist in the patients of electrical burn has distinctive advantage over the conventional multistage pedicle-flap transfer. Between 1992 and 1996, we treated 9 cases of 8 patients who had large scar around the wrist due to old electrical burn with free flaps as a preparation of staged tendon graft. Mean age was 30.3 years and average scar area was $6{\times}11cm$. The length of time the injury and free flaps was 9 months on an average. Prior to the free flap, we performed the angiography to all patients in order to evaluate the circulation of the forearm and hand and to choose the recipient vessel. In all cases, proximal ulnar arteries in the forearm remained intact and all radial arteries remained intact in 8 of 9 cases on angiogram. The interosseous arteries were well visualized in all cases. We used the ulnar arteries as a recipient artery. The types of flaps used were f scapular cutaneous flaps, 2 dorsalis pedis flaps and a radial forearm flap. Flap survial was 100 percents with satisfactory functional and cosmetic results. Free flaps using ulnar artery as a recipient artery is one of the useful reconstruction methods for the resurfacing of large scar around the wrist in the patients of old electrical burn.