RECONSTRUCTION OF POSTBURN SCAR CONTRACTURE OF THE NECK BY EXPANDED SKIN FLAPS

Flexion contracture of the neck after burns can produce severe functio nal deformity. Excision and split or full thickness skin grafts, local or distant flaps, and free flaps have been used for reconstruction. R ecently, tissue expansion has been introduced as an additional reconst ructive procedure. We have used tissue expansion for reconstruction of postburn neck contractures. Twelve patients with ages that ranged fro m 9 to 34 years were treated with expanded fasciocutaneous supraclavic ular and shoulder flaps. No flap necrosis has been seen. In two patien ts, recontracture occurred between the expanded flap and uninvolved sk in. To date we have not seen any problems with nerve neuropraxia and i mpression on blood vessels.