AVULSIVE AMPUTATIONS OF THE THUMB - COMPARISON OF REPLANTATION TECHNIQUES

Twenty-five cases of avulsive amputation of the thumb are reported, Tw enty-one of the 25 cases were categorized as Grade I avulsions (little or no skin defect) and four were categorized as Grade II avulsions co mplicated by a large skin defect. Three different replantation techniq ues were used and compared: (1) direct vessel anastomosis, (2) arteria l anastomosis between the superficial branch of the radial artery and distal end of the thumb, and (3) arterial anastomosis after artery tra nsfer from other digits. The authors concluded that direct vessel anas tomosis was not the preferred method and that technique 2 could be use d in any case but was especially suited to Grade II reconstructions. T echnique 3 is mainly used in Grade I avulsions. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, I nc.