NATURAL-HISTORY OF DIGITAL REPLANTATION - A 12-YEAR PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the fate of the digital arter ial anastomoses, resting total digital blood flow, and cold-induced di scomfort following digital replantation with two repaired arteries. Th e evaluation was done with a Doppler ultrasound of the anastomoses, te mperature recording from the finger pulp at room temperature, and a qu estionnaire regarding the patient's impression of cold-induced discomf ort. At the 2-year follow-up all anastomoses were patent, but in two o f the six patients one anastomosis was occluded at the 12-year follow- up. The replanted digits generally showed lower skin temperatures comp ared with controls at the 2-year follow-up but these had normalized 10 years later, even in digits with one of the two repaired arteries occ luded. The number of patients with severe cold-induced discomfort was unchanged during the observation period. Conclusions: The digital flow continues to increase after the first 2 years after replantation and may reach normal levels at room temperature; however, cold-induced dis comfort is not normalized. Total blood flow improvement is not affecte d by late arterial occlusion. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.