[Plastic surgery reconstruction of late sequelae following burns of the hands]

Late consequences of burns of the hands can be divided into four types depending on their extent and the involvement of the underlying tissue structures. Of 88 hands operated on, 43% were Type I, 28% were type II, 25% were type III, and only 4% belonged to the mutilating type IV. Clinical examples of types I and III are shown. Type I requires operation on the skin only to restore full function of the hand, whereas type III also needs repeated surgical treatment of the dorsal apparatus, tendons, ligaments and joints to improve hand movement.