[Self-closing flaps in the treatment of scalp burns due to high-voltage electricity].

Electrical burns caused by high voltage are responsible for extensive tissue damage. This damage continues in the days following the accident because of the heat deriving from the Joule effect and vascular microthrombosis. In such cases of destruction of the periostum and the calvarium we use coverage flaps.

Finger avulsion injuries: a report of four cases.

Injury that occurs to a finger wearing a ring though rare can have grave consequences. It is a preventable injury which has a peculiar mode of trauma that is usually occupational. Injury ranges from simple contusion to degloving of soft tissues to traumatic amputation.

[Extensor digitorum brevis muscle flap: its help in coverage of distal foot defects. Report of six cases].

From January 1997 to march 2002, six extensor digitorum brevis muscle flaps have been used in four women and two men. Their ages were between five and 65-years-old. The defects were localised in the hallux in three cases, the dorsum of foot in one case, the other toes in one case and the external border of foot in one case.

[The "necktie lasso": a new technique for the simultaneous treatment of Wartenberg's sign and claw deformities in the hand due to ulnar nerve palsy].

The "necktie lasso" is a new technique that allows the simultaneous active treatment, of both Wartenberg's sign and claw deformity of the fifth and the fourth digits in the hand with ulnar nerve palsy. The flexor sublimis of the fourth digit is taken by a palmar approach. It is then divided into two strips up to the proximal part of the palm; The radial strip is used as a classical "direct lasso" to treat the claw deformity of the fourth digit; The ulnar strip is wound around the base of the fifth digit by a palmar and dorsal approaches at the level of the proximal phalanx, like a necktie, being medial to its radial pedicle, dorsal and superficial to its extensor apparatus, then lateral to its ulnar pedicle; It is then recovered in the palm and sutured to itself.

[Is a dynamic or stable technique needed for metacarpophalangeal joints of the hand in ulnar nerve palsy?].

Introduction: It seems interesting to choose between the dynamic and the static techniques for the rehabilitation of the hand suffering from an ulnar nerve palsy on the basis of the grasp (F1) and pinch (F2) strengths which are important in this rehabilitation.

Methods: From june 1997 to december 2001, 30 ulnar palsies all post traumatic with non complicated claw deformities have been collected and distributed in three groups of ten patients. In the group A only the static techniques have been used on the MP joints of the fourth and fifth digits and the thumb; in the group B only the dynamic techniques have been used on the fourth and fifth digits, on the flexor pollicis brevis and on the first dorsal interosseous muscle; in the group C, the MP joint of the thumb has been stabilized and dynamic techniques have been used on these two muscles, the MP joints of the fourth and fifth digits have been only stabilized.

[An original technique for stabilizing the metacarpopharyngeal joints of the ulnar hand: "The transosseous capsuloplasty with anterior-posterior drilling"].

In reconstructive surgery of the ulnar clawhand deformity, the metacarpophalangeal joints of the digits and the thumb must be stabilised. The "capsuloplasty with anteroposterior drilling", which is described in this paper is an original technique whose first goal is to make this stabilisation easier and with an effectiveness at least equal to the classic and difficult Zancolli techniques. It consists, after a longitudinal opening of the volar plate, of drilling an anteroposterior hole at the level of the metacarpal neck using a square point awl, a small dorsal incision allowing protection of the extensor tendons.

[Carcinoid liver tumors. Apropos of a case].

The authors report here a case of a young 35 years-woman presenting a probably primitive liver carcinoid tumor, surgically managed by hepatectomy followed by a complete disappearance of the carcinoidal syndrome. Through this case, the authors discuss the diagnostic difficulties, actuality of primitive hepatic carcinoids, their course, prognosis elements and the therapeutical management means.