Outcomes of Digit Replantation in Children: A Systematic Review

Children have been suggested to benefit from digit replantation due to a greater neurogenerative capacity. We aimed to conduct a systematic review on digit replantation in children to provide a comprehensive overview of survival rates and functional outcomes.

A systematic literature search was conducted on Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials for studies published between 1980 and 2023. We included peer-reviewed studies reporting on digit survival rates in pediatric patients under the age of 18 years who underwent single or multiple digit replantations distal to the metacarpophalangeal joint. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative outcomes were extracted, and pooled estimates were derived using univariable analysis.

Twenty-two studies reporting on 761 patients and 814 digit replantations were included in our study. Most replantations occurred in the index (n = 74), Tamai zone I (n = 168), and from clean-cut injuries (n = 190). The mean survival rate was 76% (n = 618/814), with a mean range of motion at the distal interphalangeal joint ranging from 64 degrees to 90 degrees and two-point discrimination ranging from 3.8 mm to 6.4 mm. Compared with clean-cut injuries, digit replantations from avulsion [odds ratio (OR), 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74-0.89] or crush (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59-0.82) injuries were associated with a lower odds of survival. Digit replantations performed with two venous (OR, 1.43, 95% CI; 1.28-1.59) or arterial anastomoses (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.48-1.81) were associated with a higher odds of survival.

Our systematic review suggests that digit replantation may be a viable option in children. Further research is required to explore functionality after digit replantation in diverse pediatric populations.