Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: : Bellevue Hospital Medical Center is a level 1 trauma center in New York and a major referral center for complex hand injuries and amputations. These injuries typically occur at the workplace and are thought to be highly litiginous in nature. This study was conducted to analyze the cases involving hand surgery litigation related to trauma over the last 8 years at this institution. METHODS: : The authors performed a retrospective chart review of all claims filed against Bellevue Hospital Medical Center after treatment for a hand injury during 2001 to 2009. Twenty-three patients in total were identified and reviewed for age, mechanism/type of injury, complications, decision to replant, average time after injury to post claim, and whether settlement was obtained. RESULTS: : One of 23 patients who filed suit against Bellevue Hospital Medical Center received a successful settlement involving an incident surrounding the loss of a nonreplantable part. Of 168 patients in whom 219 replantations/revascularizations were performed, five patients filed claims, all surrounding a failed attempt. In total, there were seven complications: five failed replants, one failed thenar flap, and one patient who needed a revision completion amputation. CONCLUSIONS: : The majority of the patients who filed claims did so because of the decision not to replant. Only 2.98 percent (five of 168) of all attempted revascularization/replantation patients filed claims against the authors' institution; all claims were notably dropped. The legal system appears to support physicians and institutions that treat these complex injuries. Better patient understanding of the decision-making process and complications involving treatment of traumatic hand injuries may decrease the number of future lawsuits

The proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) joint is the most crucial joint for the functionality of a finger. For a child with complex injury of the hand every effort should be exercised to maximize function restoration. If the PIP joint is irreparably damaged, its reconstruction is indicated. The technique of autogenic heterotopic vascularized toe joint transplantation provides unique advantage of a composite transfer of skin, tendons, bone and joint alone with growth plate and its efficacy has been affirmed in children. It has been suggested that such transfers require intact flexor tendon to achieve satisfactory results, our experience however indicates quite the contrary. As evidenced by this report of a 7-year-old boy with abrasion and avulsion injury to his dominant right hand resulting in a complex defect with skin lose, extensor, flexor avulsion along with cominution of the PIP joint of his long finger. A surgical formulation of staged reconstruction scheme including an autogenic heterotopic vascularized toe joint transplantation led to complete functional restoration to his right hand. (c) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 2011

The evolution of techniques in plastic surgery and orthopedic surgery over the past few decades has enabled a great level of success in limb salvage. Limb salvage can now be achieved when faced with trauma, tumor, sepsis, or vascular disease. In fact, 'What can be salvaged?' is now a less common debate among clinicians than 'What should be salvaged?' Often discussions among surgeons from various subspecialties, including orthopedics, plastics, trauma, and vascular surgery, are characterized by how each of them can perform their respective part of the salvage operation, be it bony fixation, revascularization, or soft-tissue coverage, but none of them is certain whether it should be attempted. What is needed in these clinical situations is an interdisciplinary team approach led by individual or groups of clinicians who are familiar not only with their own subspecialized skills but also with those of their colleagues and the outcomes associated with integrated efforts at limb salvage. The concept of orthoplastic surgery is based on such an idea, where the combined skills and techniques of the orthopedic surgeon and reconstructive microsurgeon are used in concert to direct efforts toward limb salvage or decide against it when it is not indicated. This article presents a review of the roles of the two subspecialties and how an orthoplastic team can function with the current techniques to improve outcomes in limb salvage surgery

In the past 50 years, hand surgeons have made considerable contributions to microsurgery. The unique demands of complex upper extremity care have driven many of the technical and scientific advances of this discipline, including functional muscle transfers, nerve transfers, and composite tissue allotransplantation. The purpose of this article was to review the current applications of microsurgery to the upper extremity

Avatar carries a pejorative connotation often related to an unfortunate hazard. In face transplants, incarnations were numerous. The analysis of their evolution through time and increasing sophistication of procedures turn out to be informative regarding the wide disrepairs in the craniofacial area. The authors report the principal constraints of face transplant and the evolution in minds to deal with it

INTRODUCTION: : A cervicofacial flap remains the principal method to close defects of the posterior cheek. Schrudde described a variant of this technique, termed the angle-rotation flap, which allowed primary closure of the donor site. This flap has been elevated in the deep plane for the more medial defects. We extend this technique for upper lip reconstruction. METHODS: : Two cases were reviewed that underwent upper lip reconstruction with the deep-plane Schrudde flap. RESULTS: : Two cases are presented to describe the use of the deep-plane angle-rotation flap. The first patient sustained a burn to his upper lip and the second patient had a partially grafted defect following a Mohs excision. DISCUSSION: : In patients with insignificant nasolabial folds, the deep-plane Schrudde flap is a good option to reconstruct perioral defects. The utilization of the deep plane improves the blood supply and allows improved contour for reconstruction of deeper defects

This study tested the hypothesis that all-ceramic core-veneer system crown reliability is improved by modification of the core design. We modeled a tooth preparation by reducing the height of proximal walls by 1.5 mm and the occlusal surface by 2.0 mm. The CAD-based tooth preparation was replicated and positioned in a dental articulator for core and veneer fabrication. Standard (0.5 mm uniform thickness) and modified (2.5 mm height lingual and proximal cervical areas) core designs were produced, followed by the application of veneer porcelain for a total thickness of 1.5 mm. The crowns were cemented to 30-day-aged composite dies and were either single-load-to-failure or step-stress-accelerated fatigue-tested. Use of level probability plots showed significantly higher reliability for the modified core design group. The fatigue fracture modes were veneer chipping not exposing the core for the standard group, and exposing the veneer core interface for the modified group