Process of Obtaining Social Consensus and 3-Year Functional Outcomes of the First Hand Allotransplantation in Korea

Background@#On February 2, 2017, the surgical team of ten board-certified hand specialists of W Hospital in Korea successfully performed the nation's first hand transplantation at Yeungnam University Medical Center (YUMC). This paper reports on the legal, financial, and cultural hurdles that were overcome to open the way for hand transplantation and its functional outcomes at 36 months after the operation. @*Methods@#W Hospital formed a memorandum of understanding with Daegu city and YUMC to comply with government regulations regarding hand transplantation. Campaigns were initiated in the media to increase public awareness and understanding. With the city's financial and legal support and the university's medical cooperation, a surgical team performed a left distal forearm hand transplantation from a brain-dead 48-year-old man to a 35-year-old left-handed man. @*Results@#With this successful allotransplantation, the Korean Act on Organ Transplantation has now been amended to include hand transplantation. Korean national health insurance has also begun covering hand transplantation. Functional outcome at 36 months after the operation showed satisfactory progress in both motor and sensory functions. The disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand score were 23. The final Hand Transplantation Score was 90 points. Functional brain magnetic resonance imaging shows significant cortical reorganization of the corticospinal tract, and reinnervation of intrinsic muscle is observed. @*Conclusions@#Hand transplantation at the distal forearm shows very satisfactory outcomes in functional, aesthetical, and psychological aspects. Legal and financial barriers against hand transplantation have long been the most burdensome issues. Despite this momentous success, there have been no other clinical applications of vascularized composite allotransplantation due to the limited acceptance by Korean doctors and people. Further public education campaigns for vascularized composite allotransplantation are needed to increase awareness and acceptance.

The Fate of Anterior Interosseous Nerve Syndrome

PURPOSE: We report the causes and prognosis of anterior interosseous nerve syndrome (AIN) according to the treatment. METHODS: From March 2009 to December 2015, the 20 patients with the clinical symptom of AIN syndrome were enrolled in the study and electromyography (EMG) of AIN was performed. We retrospectively reviewed hand function test, active range of motion, the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) score and EMG during the recovery from disease. We further surveyed the time of recovery and residual symptoms. RESULTS: The patients with unknown cause of the disease (12 cases), heavy work or trauma (6 cases) and infection (2 cases) were investigated in the study. Thirteen out of 15 cases with conservative treatment and 2 out of 5 cases with a surgical treatment at an average of 8 months from disease were recovered. In addition, 8 cases with fine motor disturbance and 3 cases with tingling residual symptom were observed. CONCLUSION: Due to the low possibility of entrapment neuropathy, conservative treatment for 7 months is the first choice rather than surgical treatment. If there is no improvement from the conservative treatment, surgical exploration of AIN is the indication of treatment. After recovery, patients may have the symptoms of fine motor disturbance and tingling.

Comparison of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome with or without Anconeus Epitrochlearis: Are They Different?

PURPOSE: To assess the clinical difference between cubital tunnel syndrome with anconeus epitrochlearis (AE) and idiopathic cubital tunnel syndrome without known other causes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included the 326 patients who were subjected to surgery because of cubital tunnel syndrome from 2008 to 2014. After exclusion of patients with other known causes of cubital tunnel syndrome, a total of 107 patients were divided into two groups; patients with and without AE. The clinical differences between two groups were analyzed retrospectively; age, sex, presence of intrinsic muscle atrophy, interval from symptom development to surgery, pinch power, the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand score and the nerve conduction velocity (NCV). RESULTS: Thirty four (10.4%) patients, being subjected to surgery had the AE. Among 107 patients who had no other known causes, 26 patients had AE. 19 out of 26 patients with AE was male. Average age of patients with AE was significantly younger. The interval from symptom development to surgery in AE patients was significantly shorter. Motor NCV of ulnar nerve at above elbow joint in comparison with that at below elbow joint in AE patient was more significantly decreased (14.3 m/sec vs. 8.3 m/sec). CONCLUSION: The AE in cubital tunnel syndrome is no more rare structure. In younger male patients with rapidly progressive worsening cubital tunnel symptoms, and if there is significant decrease of ulnar motor nerve velocity at above elbow in comparison with at below elbow, the AE should be considered as cause of ulnar neuropathy.

Hamate Hook Fracture with Flexor Tendon Ruptures as a Golf Injury

PURPOSE: We report surgical results and the relationship between hamate hook fracture and flexor tendon rupture occurred during excessive golf practice or rounding. METHODS: The 16 cases of patients with fracture of hamate hook or flexor tendon injury caused by golf swing were examined retrospectively. Hamate hook excision were underwent in fracture alone, flexor tendon reconstruction with tendon transfer of 3rd or 4th flexor digitorum sublimus (FDS) were done in the flexor tendon rupture. Postoperative results were evaluated by means of American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) to compare total range of motion and the grip strength. RESULTS: The fracture gap was not far apart completely in computed tomography (CT) of hamate fracture alone cases. If the flexor tendon rupture with the fracture, the gap in CT was far apart completely. After flexor tendon transfer surgery, two cases were excellent, five cases were good, two cases were fair in ASSH assessment. One case was re-rupture. Grip strength as compared with the normal side was observed for the mean grip strength of 82% recovery. CONCLUSION: The instability of the hamate hook fracture affected to flexor tendon rupture rather than location of the fracture. Hamate hook excision and tendon transfer with FDS can be a good treatment option.

Free Flap Transplantation in Open Tibial Fracture with Vessel Injury in the Elderly

Two aged patients who had open tibial fractures with arterial injury caused by high energy accidents underwent emergency arterial reconstruction using a greater saphenous vein and soft tissue repair using free flaps. In the patients, soft tissue necrosis developed and tibias were exposed at postoperative third week. Follow-up angiography through the superficial femoral artery showed occlusion of the anterior tibial artery. The anterior tibial artery was reconstructed using the contralateral greater saphenous vein graft and the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous and rectus abdominis muscle free flaps were transplanted for repair of necrotic soft tissue. The reconstructed arteries showed good perfusion to the new free flaps until union of the tibias occurred. The patients were followed-up for 21 years and 17 years postoperatively, respectively. In management of open comminuted fracture of the tibia, injury of the arterial system must be ruled out by angiography in addition to evaluation of the degree of soft tissue injury.

Repeated Ceramic Head Fracture after Ceramic-on-ceramic Total Hip Arthroplasty

Alumina ceramic-on-ceramic total hip arthroplasty is a widely-adopted option, especially for younger patients, due low wear, scratch resistance, the wettable characteristics of alumina ceramics, and because of the relatively low biological reactivites of ceramic wear particles. However, fracture remains a significant problem because ceramics are inherently brittle, and few reports have been issued on short head fractures. In the described case, a ceramic head fracture occurred only 8 months after replacing the original head and with a new 28 mm head and liner. Both of these incidents may have been caused by head-to-liner impingement due to excessive anteversion of the metal shell. During the second revision surgery, this situation was managed successfully using a conventional elevated-polyethylene liner and a CoCr metal head, while retaining all metal implants.