Vascularized bone grafts (VBGs) are widely employed to reconstruct upper extremity bone defects. Conventional bone grafting is generally used to treat defects smaller than 5–6 cm, when tissue vascularization is adequate and there is no infection risk. Vascularized fibular grafts (VFGs) are mainly used in the humerus, radius or ulna in cases of persistent non-union where traditional bone grafting has failed or for bone defects larger than 6 cm. Furthermore, VFGs are considered to be the standard treatment for large bone defects located in the radius, ulna and humerus and enable the reconstruction of soft-tissue loss, as VFGs can be harvested as osteocutaneous flaps. VBGs enable one-stage surgical reconstruction and are highly infection-resistant because of their autonomous vascularization. A vascularized medial femoral condyle (VFMC) free flap can be used to treat small defects and non-unions in the upper extremity. Relative contraindications to these procedures are diabetes, immunosuppression, chronic infections, alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse and obesity. The aim of our study was to illustrate the use of VFGs to treat large post-traumatic bone defects and osteomyelitis located in the upper extremity. Moreover, the use of VFMC autografts is presented.
Background: Clinical manifestations of camptodactyly are varied and no official consensus on the etiopathogenesis or best treatment is available. Conservative treatment is generally preferred and, in refractory patients, surgery might be considered. However, reported results of surgery are often unsatisfactory and it is difficult to compare outcomes as different classification systems are adopted. We reported the outcomes of surgical treatment of camptodactyly with the Malek cutaneous approach and stepwise release, assessed using the Siegert classification. Methods: A retrospective analysis of paediatric patients (≥1 and ≤18 years) with congenital camptodactyly refractory to conservative management (flexion contracture >30°), treated with Malek cutaneous approach and stepwise release surgery between June 2009 and June 2019 with at least 1 year of follow-up was performed. Pre- and post-operative clinical and radiographic assessments were evaluated for degrees of flexion contractures and early (<30 days) or late (>30 days) complications were recorded. Results: A total of 59 patients underwent surgery, of whom 38 (64%), including 42 fingers, were enrolled; mean patient age was 8 years (range 1–18). Post-operative mean flexion contracture was significantly improved (p > 0.001) and no infections were recorded. Mean follow-up was 6 years (range 1–10) and proximal interphalangeal joint extension deficits were rated according to Siegert classification as excellent (69%), good (12%), or fair (9.5%) and poor (9.5%). Conclusions: The Malek cutaneous approach and stepwise release of the retracting soft tissues allow prompt evaluation of the anatomical structures involved in the deformity and seem to be an effective surgical correction in the long term. Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic)
Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors (PNSTs) are extremely uncommon and it is almost certain that no individual upper limb surgeon will gain great experience in a lifetime with these lesions. Benign and malignant PNSTs are separately analyzed in this descriptive review and discussed focusing the attention towards the most important features. A comprehensive and summarized overview of this topic is offered to the reader in order to improve the complex management of these tumors from diagnosis to treatment. A systematic search in PubMed was carried out using the keywords (and synonyms) written below in order to find relevant and most cited papers. Reckoning the rarity of the pathology, few selected case reports were taken into account. A compendium of each PNST was created to sum up the personal experience of the Authors who wrote the articles, critically inspected and analyzed. Every section of the paper is meant to provide useful tips to the reader.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.