Management of severe postburn scar contracture in the lower extremities / 中华烧伤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the clinical experience in the management of severe postburn scar contracture in the lower extremities.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The scars in popliteal fossa and ankle joint were excised. Traction and skin grafting were employed in the management of contracture deformity in these areas.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Severe postburn scar contracture deformity in sixty postburn patients could be corrected by constant traction and skin grafting.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Scar excision and lysis with constant traction might be an optimal method in the management of severe postburn scar contracture deformity of joints in the lower extremities and satisfactory results could be obtained without tendon grafting and elongation.</p>

The design of the expanded flap for the repair of the temporal and cheek area / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the design of an expanded flap at the temporal and cheek area.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expanded flap was used for the repair of 619 temporal and cheek defects secondary to scar, nevus or hemangioma excision. In the frontal area, the rotational flap was usually used. For the repair of the cheek, the applied flap included the rotational, advanced, and transposition flap from the neck, as well as the pedicle flap from the thoracic area.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eight thoracic-deltoid flaps had distal necrosis of 1 approximately 5 cm. Of them, 5 flaps were repositioned with subsequent good result; the other 3 flaps underwent skin grafting. The five facial expanded flaps showed distal necrosis of 0.5 approximately 1 cm. Of them, 4 flaps occurred delayed healing, 1 flap underwent skin grafting. Expander extrusion happened in 41 cases (6.62%), which resulted in deficiency of the expanded area. Satisfactory results were achieved in all the other cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>According to our experience, careful design of the flap is very important for obtainingbetter surgical results and decreasing complications.</p>

Fabrication of a blood vessel scaffold with a combined polymer for tissue engineering / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the possibility to fabricate a blood vessel scaffold with a combined polymer for tissue engineering.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A blood vessel scaffold was designed with a combined polymer composed of rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs), collagen and a non-spinning fabric mesh of polyglycolic acid (PGA). VSMCs were implanted into collagen gel and their growth was observed. The mixed solution of VSMCs and collagen was dropped into the tubular scaffold, followed by 7-day culturing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>VSMCs formed many prominences after culturing in gelatinous collagen for 3-4 hours. With cells extending, some cells became shuttle- or spindle-shaped. After VSMCs-collagen complex was implanted into the PGA mesh, most of VSMCs remained in the pore of PGA mesh with the formation of gelation. VSMCs could adhere to and grow on the PGA fiber.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The non-spinning PGA porous biodegradable material coated with collagen is a good carrier for VSMCs to adhere and grow.</p>