Cooling Composite Graft for Distal Finger Amputation: A Reliable Alternative to Microsurgery Implantation.

BACKGROUND: Finger amputations are the most common injuries to the upper limb. There are many options in the management of fingertip or finger amputations. We report our experience using cooling composite graft (Hirase technique) for distal finger amputation, as alternative to microsurgery implantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected a case series of eight patients and report on the clinical outcomes after a 10-month follow-up period. RESULTS: The amputated part survived almost completely in six patients; in these cases, the fingertip amputations were classified, according to the Allen classification, as level I in two cases, level II in three cases and level III in one case. CONCLUSION: Re-implantation of an amputated finger with the Hirase technique is possible and can provide good distal soft-tissue coverage and recovery of sensory and motor functions. We believe that re-attachment of the amputated portion as a composite graft represents an important alternative to microsurgery.