[Hand burns in children. Personal experiences and follow-up study results]

The analysis of 90 thermal injuries of the hands leads to the following statement: First and second degree burns heal spontaneously by closed wound treatment. Third degree burns demand local surgical treatment, usually according to the principle of delayed early excision and consecutive skin transplantation. Contracted scars have to be corrected early by surgical plastic. Full thickness skin transplants and flap shifting techniques provide satisfactory results. Z-plastics tend to recurrent contraction. After-care for preserving the functional results is of great importance for the growing hand.