Syndactyly release with full-thickness skin graft harvested from the wrist: About 24 webspaces

Abstract

The management of congenital syndactylies often requires the use of a full-thickness skin graft to reconstruct the affected web space. Traditionnally, full-thickness skin grafts are harvested from the groin region, but using the anterior aspect of the wrist may offers benefits in terms of scar quality while simplifying surgical time.This descriptive study evaluates scar quality (at donor and recipient site) associated with full-thickness skin graft harvested from the volar wrist in syndactyly release.We conducted a retrospective single-center study including patients who underwent syndactyly release with full-thickness skin graft harvested from the anterior wrist. Scar assessment was performed using the Observer Scar Assesment Scale, the Vancouver Scar Scale and the Withey Score.Overall, our results show high scores for scars at both donor and recipient sites.In conclusion, harvesting full-thickness skin graft from the volar wrist in syndactyly release is a simple and effective option for covering defects on the digits, while producing high-quality scars.