The Moriarty sign: an appraisal

If the recipient site of a split skin graft become more painful than the donor site, it is a sign that the graft is unlikely to take 100% and suggests that early inspection of the site should be undertaken. If, however, the donor site is consistently the more painful, good take is likely. This has been termed "Moriarty's sign". A prospective study of 40 patients is presented and suggests that this sign is a reliable indicator of graft take. The derivation of the term and its importance in clinical practice are discussed.