ARTERIAL SPASTICITY AND COLD INTOLERANCE IN RELATION TO TIME AFTER DIGITAL REPLANTATION

Cold induced arterial vasospasm was studied in ten patients with singl e digit replantation, by measuring finger systolic pressure at differe nt finger temperatures. Each patient was examined three times; within 2 weeks of surgery, after 1 year and after 3 years. The replantations were performed using long arterial and venous grafts. Cold-related vas ospasm is established during the first year after trauma, and thereaft er seems to be persistent. It is concluded that the subjective cold in tolerance, which affects all patients after digital amputation regardl ess of whether replantation is performed or not, is partly due to vaso spasm. It is less pronounced in patients without pathological vasospas m in the replanted digit. Cold intolerance is likely to decrease durin g the first 2 years after replantation, but not to disappear completel y.