A case of forearm amputation with additional multilevel partial amputations

A right-handed 4 1/2-year old boy had a sharp amputation 3 cm proximal to his left wrist joint in a hay-cutting machine accident. In addition, he sustained 5 incisions on the anterior and ulnar aspects of the same forearm, the proximal and deepest including radius, ulna and the deep branch of the radial nerve. In a 19 1/2 hours operation, his left hand was replanted and the mainly cold anoxaemia time was 16 hours. Despite several reoperations, the hand could not be saved but the proximal portion of the amputated part did survive. On the 21st day the hand was reamputated at the radiocarpal joint level and the stump closed with viable skin from the proximal 2/3 of the dorsum of the hand. On a 1 year follow-up, the length growth was found to be close to normal. A myoelectric prosthesis is functioning well not only from impulses in the reinnervated extensor muscles but also from the flexor muscles which have been denervated and anatomically divided at least at two levels. Partial replantation success and perfect revascularization and reinnervation in the forearm was gained, thanks to extensive surgery. These results in an extremely complicated injury like this do show that every surgical effort should be made in pediatric extremity trauma.