Functional and subjective results of 20 thumb replantations

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the results of 20 thumb replantations with special and exhaustive attention on functional outcomes. Twenty patients with traumatic thumb amputation were enrolled in the study. Range of motion, grip strength, sensory recovery, and subjective perception of overall hand function recovery were measured. The average age at the time of surgery was 35 years (range, 13-73 years). The mean follow-up was 3.25 years (range, 1.9-10.25 years). The long-term results of thumb replantation confirmed satisfactory outcomes in terms of general upper limb function, handgrip and pinch strength, and social and work reintegration. Sensory recovery remained unsatisfactory despite the fact that we did not need to perform any kind of revision surgery as a consequence of inadequate thumb sensibility. For the first time in the existing literature, no functional parameter that contributes to the assessment of the function of replanted thumbs has been excluded. We resume in the same study the analysis of all functional parameters that are useful to define results of thumb replantation.