Microsurgery
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Animal models and clinical cases of facial allotransplantation have been performed as a single stage procedure. A staged surgery might offer some advantages in selected cases. In this study, a two-stage face transplantation approach was performed on rat and the feasibility and safety were evaluated. ⋯ It is feasible, reliable, reproducible, and safe to perform a two-stage face transplantation in rats. This novel approach has the potential to be applied in research and eventually in selected clinical cases of facial allotransplantation.
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The sural nerve has been described for nerve reconstruction of the maxillofacial region since it provides many advantages. We report a case of a vascularized sural nerve graft based on a peroneal artery perforator for immediate reconstruction after the removal of intraosseous neuroma originating in the inferior alveolar nerve. The patient had a neuroma caused by iatrogenic injury to the inferior alveolar nerve. ⋯ The skin paddle with 1 cm × 3 cm in size was inset into the incised medial neck. Perceptual function tests with a Semmes-Weinstein pressure esthesiometer and two-point discrimination in the lower lip and chin at 10 months after surgery showed recovery almost to the level of the normal side. This free vascularized sural nerve graft based on a peroneal artery perforator may be a good alternative for reconstruction of inferior alveolar nerve defects.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quantitative muscle strength to distinguish the outcomes of different injury levels in upper arm type brachial plexus injury (BPI) patients with double nerve transfer. ⋯ Upper arm type BPI patients have a good motor recovery after double nerve transfer. The different outcomes between C5-C6 and C5-C7 BPI patients appeared in muscles responding to hand grip, wrist extension, and sagittal movements in shoulder and elbow joints.
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Review Case Reports
Propeller flap reconstruction of abdominal defects: review of the literature and case report.
The abdominal wall is perfused anteriorly by the superior and deep epigastric vessels with a smaller contribution from the superficial system. The lateral abdominal wall is perfused predominantly from perforators arising from the intercostal vessels. Reconstruction of soft tissue defects involving the abdomen presents a difficult challenge for reconstructive surgeons. ⋯ A propeller flap was designed based on a perforator arising from the superior deep epigastric vessels and was rotated 90° into the defect allowing primary closure of the donor site. The patient healed uneventfully and was without recurrent disease 37 months following reconstruction. Perforator propeller flaps can be used successfully in reconstruction of abdominal defects and should be incorporated into the armamentarium of reconstructive microsurgeons already facile with perforator dissections.