Replantation of a circumferentially degloved ring finger by venous arterializations

Treatment of ring degloving injuries of the finger is one of the most demanding problems in hand surgery. Replantation has been advocated as the best solution if the vessels belonging to the degloved skin are not irreversibly destroyed. We present a case involving a ring finger with circumferentially avulsed skin. Debridement under microscopy showed that the peeled skin did not retain any arteries, but did have various superficial veins of good caliber. The neurovascular bundles of the finger remained in situ and did not appear to be disrupted. The degloved finger survived uneventfully by venous arterialization, retaining excellent function and appearance.