• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.50-55
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• 1999

Avascular necrosis is a significant late complication of talar neck fracture. However, treatment for early stage avascular necrosis has been not established. Two patients with post-traumatic avascular necrosis of talus treated with vascular pedicle graft using lateral tarsal artery were reviewed to determine the efficacy of procedure. The procedure involved grafting the lateral tarsal artery and vein into a hole made in the talus through a anterolateral approach. Follow-up was 12 and 24 months respectively. Two patients had significant pain relief, improved function, no worsening of their radiologic staging. The results are promising enough to recommend consideration of this procedure in early stages of avascular necrosis.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.92-96
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• 1999

Neuroma is formed by abnormal, incomplete nerve regeneration after nerve injury. A painful neuroma in the hand can be psychologically and physically disabling. The goal of treating painful neuroma is to relieve pain and to restore nerve function. A numerous treatment modality was reported for alleviating the problem. These treatments include crushing the neuroma, ligating it, burying in soft tissue, bone, and muscle, injecting it with alcohol, phenol, and steroid, capping it with silicone cuff. But, none of these methods has been uniformly successful, although each has its advocates. No one technique reliably prevents formation of a painful neuroma. However, the principles of treatment is resection of neuroma and proximal stump of the nerve is transposed to appropriate adjacent tissue. Our current technique was resection of neuroma with partial normal neural tissue, and then the nerve ending was transposed and sutured to the side of the proximal stump with 10-0 nylon, so end-to-side neurorrhaphy was made. The nerve ending had to be placed and fixed into the proximal nerve epineurium like as a figure of a loop. We believe this technique is another useful method for the treatment of painful neuroma.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.7-11
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• 2001

Purpose : To evaluate the neurologic abnormalities in the donor limb after contralateral C7 transfer in brachial plexus injury. Materials and Methods : From August 1996 to December 1999, five patients with brachial plexus injury were treated with contralateral C7 nerve root transfer. The average follow up was 16 months(range, 5 to 36 months). The clinical findings were assessed using the British Medical Research Council Grading System, and also measured grip power, pinch power of hand and two point discrimination of the fingers. Results : We had no difference in shoulder abduction and elbow flexion after contralateral C7 transfer. The grip and pinch strength were recovered within 4weeks. Sensory loss occurred in all patients and was noted to be more severe on index and middle finger. Four patients recovered within 2 weeks, one continued till one year. Subjective numbness and pain on percussion minimally persisted until last follow-up. Conclusion : The division of the C7 nerve root resulted in minimal and temporary functional deficit in the donor upper limb.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.110-113
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• 2000

The reconstruction of soft tissue defects of the sole requires to stand the force of weight bearing, provide sensation and adequacy for normal foot-wear. Although certain local flaps have been described and used for resurfacing the foot, extensive injury requires distant or free flaps for coverage. There is no doubt that the ideal tissue for resurfacing the sole is the plantar tissue itself. The specialized dermal-epidermal histology and fibrous septa of the subcutaneous layer gives its unique property to stand the pressure and to absorb the shock upon gait. This paper presents a case of reconstructing the sole that involves about 70% of the weight bearing portion. The combined medial plantar and dorsalis pedis chimeric free flap based on the medial plantar artery and medial plantar nerve adds another dimension in resurfacing the weight bearing sole of moderate to large sized defects.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.158-163
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• 2000

Over the past several years, countless patients have benefitted from the use of leeches in microsurgery. As we know, leeches are used to overcome the problem of venous congestion by creating prolonged localized bleeding uniquely characteristics of leech bite. Venous congestion, a common complication of digital replantation, often has been treated through surgical repair like arteriovenous anastomosis. The leech produces a number of important substances which contribute to the special property of the bite, including an anticoagulant, a local vasodilator and local anesthetics. The bite usually bleeds for 1 to 2 hours and under special circumstances may bleed for up to 24 hours. So venous congestion is relieved. However, leeches increase the possibility of infection through their gut content. Infection associated medical leech application is significant risk. Other risk include allergic reaction, adverse psychologic reaction and blood loss requiring transfusion. The 65 cases of medical leech application were performed between August, 1997 and May, 2000 according to an established protocol. The complication were 18 cases ; infection (13 cases), hemorrhage (2 cases), allergic reaction (1 case), psychologic problem (1 case) and hypochromic anemia (1 case). Then our study was performed on the base of indication. As a result, Aeromonas hydrophilia was cultured from gut of medical leech and Klebsiella, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas were cultured from media. We present the clinical risk-benefit of the medical leech therapy through several cases following digital replantation.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.190-198
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• 2000

본 연구는 백서 복직근피판에 있어 허혈-재혈류 손상에 미치는 prostaglandin E1(PGE-1)의 예방효과를 분석 실험하였으며, 그 기전으로 내피세포의 intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)이 down regulation 됨을 확인하였다. 기존의 PGE-1은 혈관 확장 및 혈소판 응고 저하 등의 기전으로 피판 이식술 후 주로 사용하였으나, 허혈-재혈류 손상 시에 PGE-1 역할에 대한 연구는 잘 알려진바 없다. 허혈-재혈류 손상에 대한 기전은 현재 여러 가설로 설명되고 있으나, 최근 내피 세포와 백혈구의 역할이 주목을 받고 있다. 장시간 허혈 상태의 피판은 재혈류시 백혈구가 내피세포에 접착함으로써 직간접적인 경로로 독소를 생성하며, 결국 내피세포 및 주변조직의 괴사로 이어진다. 본 연구는 면역조직학 염색을 통한 내피세포의 ICAM-1 발현 억제와 그로 인한 백혈구의 내피세포 접착 억제를 그 기전으로 볼 수 있었으며, PGE-1을 술 중 투여함으로써 피판의 생존율을 향상시킬 수 있었다.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.134-138
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• 2000

Arthrodesis of the ankle joint is inevitable in the cases of severe arthrosis or defective bony structures around ankle joint. There have been many kinds of arthrodesis methods were introduced. In cases with failed athrodesis with previous arthrodesis surgery and neuropathic joints have difficulty to achieve fusion of joint with conventional methods. Authors underwent four cases of ankle fusion with vascularized fibular graft from 1997 in the cases of three failed fusions and one diabetic neuropatic joint. Two of four performed free vascularized fibular transplantation from contralateral side leg with microvascular anastomosis, two of four performed with pedicled fibular transposition to the ankle joint in same side leg. Three of four cases achieved arthrodesis average 9.2 months after surgery, one case was failed due to vascular thrombosis of the anastomosed site in diabetic neuropathic condition. The result of this technique revealed 75%(three of four) success rate and longer bone union time required. However, in these cases had no recommendable options with conventional bone graft and additional ankle joint fusions procedure because of poor bone quality and defect of distal tibia and talus portions. Free vascualrized fibular transfer to the failed athrodesis of ankle joint is one of the effective alternative methods in failed ankle fusion cases, especially the quality of the bone around previous fusion site is poor.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.127-133
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• 2000

Free TRAM flap is now increasingly suggested to patients requiring breast reconstruction after the mastectomy. This study is to introduce the experiences of bilateral free TRAM flaps for reconstruction of bilateral breasts and to suggest the way of getting the more satisfactory results. A total of 6 breasts were reconstructed in 3 patients using bilateral free TRAM flaps immediately following the mastectomy. Average operative time for bilateral breast reconstruction was 8 hours comparing to 6.5 hours for unilateral breast reconstruction. Partial or total flap loss did not occur in 6 flaps. Abdomen was repaired directly with muscle and fascia sparing technique without necessity of mesh graft. There was no complication in donor site like abdominal hernia. Bilateral breast reconstruction can achieve exceptionally good aesthetic result with low complication if it is performed with skillful technique and experience. The reason for this is that fairly good symmetry usually is obtained in the initial surgery and in most cases only minimal additional surgery is required to achieve a satisfactory aesthetic result. The one disadvantage of bilateral reconstruction with autologous tissue is the length of the surgical procedure. Although the initial bilateral breast reconstruction can be a long, tedious procedure if free flaps are used, it must be a valuable treatment option for bilaterally mastectomized patients.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.103-109
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• 2000

Purpose : We performed this study in order to analyze the clinical results of functioning gracilis musculocutaneous free flap transplantation for reconstructon of hand function in cases of Volkmann's ischemic contracture and massive soft tissue injury of forearm. Materials and methods : 18 cases were reviewed with 5 yeas of mean follow up period. We evaluated total active motion of the finger joints and wrist, pinch and grip strength. Results : The flap were survived in 17 cases and 1 case was failed due to infection. The sum of active motion of finger joints(TAM) was improved from 0 to $173.8^{\circ}$. The average grip and pinch strength was improved from 0 kg to $2.7{\pm}2.1kg$ and from 0 kg to $2.4{\pm}1.6kg$. Conclusion : The results in most cases were acceptable in relatively long term follow-up. It may be an option for reconstruction of hand function in cases of Volkmann's ischemic contracture and traumatic upper extremity injury.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.34-40
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• 2012

Prevention of acute rejection in composite tissue allotransplantation without continuous immunosuppression lacks reports in worldwide literature. Recently dendritic cells (DC) gained considerble attention as antigen presenting cells that are also capable of immunologic tolerance induction. This study assesses the effect of alloantigen-pulsed dendritic cells in induction of survival in a rat hindlimb allograft. We performed hindlimb allotransplantation between donor Sprague-Dawley and recipient Fischer344 rats. Recipient derived dendritic cells were harvested from rat whole blood and cultured with anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Then donor-specific alloantigen pulsed dendritic cells were reinjected into subcutaneous tissue before limb transplantation. Groups: I) untreated (n=6), II) DC injected (n=6), III) Immunosuppressant (FK-506, 2 mg/Kg) injected (n=6), IV) DC and immunouppressant injected (n=6). Graft appearance challenges were assessed postoperatively. Observation of graft appearance, H-E staning, immunohistochemical (IHC) study, and confocal immunofluoreiscece were performed postoperatively. Donor antigen pulsed host dendritic cell combined with short-term immunosuppression showed minimal mononuclear cell infiltration, regulator T cell presence, and could prolong limb allograft survival.