Conventional teaching in the management of partial hand amputations prioritizes residual
limb length, often through local, regional, or distant flaps. While multiple options
exist to provide durable soft tissue coverage, only a few flaps are thin and pliable
enough to match that of the dorsal hand skin. Despite debulking, excessive soft tissues
from previous flap reconstructions can interfere with residual limb function, prosthesis
fit, and surface electrode recording for myoelectric prostheses. With rapid advances
in prosthetic technology and nerve transfer techniques, patients can achieve very
high levels of function following prosthetic rehabilitation that rival, or even outpace,
traditional soft tissue reconstruction. Therefore, our reconstruction algorithm for
partial hand amputations has evolved to the thinnest coverage possible, providing
adequate durability. This evolution has provided our patients with faster and more
secure prosthesis fitting with better surface electrode detection, enabling earlier
and improved use of simple and advanced partial hand prostheses.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 07, 2023
Accepted:
January 13,
2023
Received:
June 23,
2021
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofFootnotes
No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
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© 2023 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.
