Innovative techniques in bony reconstruction to facilitate hand salvage

Mutilating injuries of the hand and congenital hand anomalies can present challenging reconstructive scenarios for salvage and restoration of function. During a 5-year period from 1993 to 1997, the plastic and reconstructive surgical unit of East Carolina University Medical Center was presented with a series of unique reconstructive challenges as a result of complex hand injuries that resulted in unexpected opportunities for the salvage of distal components. These traumatic injuries were unique in that, although devastating to the hand, they left the opportunity for salvage of distal vascularized and sensate components of the hand. Other unique challenges arose as a result of patients who did not want to pursue alternative reconstructive options such as toe-to-hand transfers or pollicization. These cases are presented to emphasize alternative algorithms to standard hand reconstruction in complex scenarios. Three patients presented with distal viable (vascularized and sensate) phalangeal components with proximal complex bony defects, 1 patient presented with a complex thumb defect and declined standard therapy, and 1 patient presented with a congenital thumb anomaly and declined standard therapy. All flaps survived and all hands were saved. These patients illustrate the clinical feasibility of osteocutaneous and free osseous grafting to provide strut stabilization in metacarpal defects and to preserve an opposable post after thumb amputation or thumb anomaly.