Plastic and reconstructive surgery
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Dec 1991
The basic types of scar contractures after burns and methods of eliminating them with trapezeplasty flaps.
The study of postburn scar contractures in various locations has revealed four contracture variables: edge, medial, strip, and total. Following the surgical treatment of more than 2000 patients with such contractures, a trapezeplasty flap method has been worked out and applied since 1979. This method allows one to make up for deficient scar tissue of the same shape. ⋯ For each contracture type, there are trapeze-flap variables either in pure form or in combination with the transposition of split-thickness skin with a flap to create a flexible joint zone. The trapezeplasty flap method can be used to treat all edge, medial, strip, and total contractures of joints whose natural position is adduction, the shoulder joint, and contractures between fingers. Skin-fat or skin-fascia trapeze flaps prevent the relapse of contracture and make the weakened scars softer, which, as a rule, ensures a good functional and aesthetic result.