• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.62-67
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• 2015

Purpose: Pollicization typically involves surgical migration of the index finger to the position of the thumb. This procedure facilitates the conversion of a useless hand into a well-functioning one in patients who are not amenable to the toe-to-hand transfer. However, middle finger pollicization has been rarely reported. Materials and Methods: We reconstructed a thumb by immediate pollicization of the remnants of the middle finger in two patients who sustained a tumor and a trauma, respectively. The former, after cancer ablation was performed, has not been reported literally, and the latter involved free devitalized pollicization of the middle finger using a microsurgical anastomosis. The distal third extensor communis tendon was sutured to the proximal extensor pollicis longus tendon and the distal flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus were sutured to the proximal flexor pollicis longus. The abductor pollicis brevis tendon was sutured to the distal end of the first palmar interosseous muscle. Coaptation of the third digital nerve and the superficial radial nerve branch was performed. Results: Patients showed uneventful postoperative courses without complication such as infection or finger necrosis. Based on the principles of pollicization, a wide range of pinch and grasp movements was successfully restored. They were pleased with the functional and cosmetic results. Conclusion: Although the index finger has been the digit of choice for pollicization, we could also use the middle finger on specific occasions. This procedure provides an excellent option for the reconstruction of a mutilated thumb and could be performed advantageously in a single step.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.56-60
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• 2012

Purpose: Thumb reconstruction plays most important role in hand injuries because total loss of a thumb constitutes about 40% disability in the hand. The reconstruction can be accomplished by pollicization, free toe-to-thumb transfer, wrap around procedure and lengthening extraction. However, we sometimes need consecutive or double free flaps in the reconstruction of mutilating hand injuries. Methods: We reconstructed a mutilating hand injury in a 54-years old man. Because of severe crushing injury of right thumb and index fingers, we reconstructed a thumb with pollicization using nearly amputated middle finger. Although it survived completely, the adjacent soft tissues which had been covered by fillet flap from the space past was necrosed on 1 month. We debrided the necrotic tissues and covered it with anteromedial thigh perforator free flap consecutively because he had an anatomical variation in branches of lateral femoral circumflex artery. Results: He had an uneventful postoperative course without any complication such as infection, dehiscence and flap necrosis. Three months later, he had undergone tenolysis and defatting procedure of flap site. He recovered the some amount of grip function and was happy with the result. Conclusion: In severe hand trauma including thumb amputation, thumb reconstruction using pollicization and perforator free flap could be an alternative option. It provides minimal donor site morbidity and an acceptable functional result.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.56-61
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• 2000

Recommendable reconstructive surgery in the patient with thumb amputation through base of the first metacarpal bone is pollicization. Some patients who do not agree with harvest sound finger as a new thumb, we can consider other options as toe transplantation or osteoplastic thumb reconstruction for creating thumb. Toe transplantation to the thumb is effective procedure in the amputation of distal to metacarpal shaft, it is rarely indicated in the cases of proximal to base of the first metacarpal bone. We performed three cases of modified osteoplastic thumb reconstruction with free vascularized rib that combined with scapular free flap or radial forearm flap. The length of transplanted rib ranged from 7~11cm, the donor vessels are posterior intercostal artery and vein which anastomosed to radial artery. The grafted rib wrapped with additional free flap for creating new thumb. Result of that procedure was not much encouraging, aesthetic appearance and mobility of thumb were not so satisfactory but reconstructed thumb gave improvement of the hand function without sacrificing toe or other digit. That gave reasonable stability for powerful side pinch and three pod pinch and opposable thumb with normal carpo-metacarpal joint motion that can give much function to the thumb absent hand. In spite of those disadvantages, thumb reconstruction with rib transfer can be useful for patients who do not want to lose another part of the body for creating thumb in basal amputation of the thumb metacarpal.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제36권5호
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• pp.642-648
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• 2009

Purpose: Hexadactyly without thumb is a rare congenital anomaly of the hand where six triphalangeal digits are symmetrically distributed without thumb. Contrary to mirror hands, triphalangeal six digits are symmetrically distributed on each side at the midline with well - differentiated carpal bones, extensor tendons, one ulnar and one radius. The authors developed a new surgical technique based on a three - dimensional concept to correct the hexadactyly and applied to 2 cases of hexadactyly with good functional and aesthetic results. Here we document the surgical technique and its result. Methods: A 16 month old male patient visited our clinic with chief complaints of bilateral hexadactyly deformity. On physical examination most radial first and second digits showed no opposition and adduction motion on both side hands. Radiography showed 6 triphalangeal digits with normal development of carpal, radial and ulnar bone. Right side abnormality was corrected by removal of most radial side extra - digit, rotation and migration of 2nd ray to thumb position and creation of 1st web by transposing a mid - palm based rectangular palmar flap as in Snow & Littler procedure which has been being applied for correction of 1st web syndactyly in cleft hand deformity. Seven months later, left side abnormality was also corrected with the same procedure. Results: Postoperative appearances of the both hands were satisfactory. Flexion, extension, opposition and grasping were possible with the pollicized 2nd ray. Pinching power was 3.0 kg 15 months after surgery and 2.5 kg 22 months after in right hand respectively. Conclusion: In correction of hexadactyly deformity, satisfactory aesthetic and relevant functional results can be expected with authors' newly developed technique: removal of most radial digit, rotation and migration of 2nd digit to thumb position as well as creation of the 1st web space by transposition of mid - palm based rectangular flap.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.72-80
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• 1994

저자들은 수무지 절단 및 연부조직 결손을 주소로 고려대학병원 정형외과로 내원한 환자들을 대상으로 30례의 족무지 유리피부편을 이용한 수무지 재건술을 시행하고 비교적 장기간의 추시 관찰을 시행한 바 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1. 총 30례중 1례를 제외한 29례에서 이식이 성공하였으며 미용적 측면과 기능적인 면에서 모두 우수한 결과를 얻을 수 있었다. 2. 합병증으로 1례에서 이식실패, 6례에서 부분피부괴사, 1례에서 부정유합, 15례에서 이식골의 흡수가 있었으며 그중 1례에서 피로 골절이 관찰되었다. 3. 제1수장골 경부 절단시에도 수무지의 재건이 가능하였으나 무지 운동성의 제한과 많은 이식골의 골흡수가 문제점으로 제시되었다. 이상에서 족무지 유리 피부편을 이용한 수무지 재건술은 수무지 절단환자에 있어 미용상 및 기능적인 면에 있어 우수하며 공여부에도 비교적 결손이 적은 추천할 만한 수술법으로 사료되며 또한 술자는 합병증의 방지를 위하여 세심한 주의를 기울여야 할 것이며 미세수술수기에도 숙달되어야 할 것이다.