PROLONGED WARM ISCHEMIA AND LIMB SURVIVAL - CASE-REPORT

A 21-year-old woman sustained a supracondylar crush injury of her arm. The extremity underwent severe ischemia for more than 16 hours after an unsuccessful brachial artery repair. The forearm muscles became rig id and the fingers could not be extended passively. Clinically these f indings were felt to be similar to rigor mortis. Despite this dismal p icture, secondary revascularization resulted in a highly functional ha nd with no loss of digits. Desperate attempts at revascularization in isolated extremity injury may be successful, despite prolonged warm is chemia time.