Achievements and challenges in composite tissue allotransplantation.

Overall, more than 60 hand/forearm/arm transplantations and 16 face transplantations have been performed in the past 12 years. In the European experience summarized here, three grafts have been lost in response to a vascular thrombosis (n = 1), rejection and incompliance with immunosuppression (n = 1) and death (n = 1). The overall functional and esthetic outcome is very satisfactory, but serious side effects and complications related to immunosuppression are challenges hindering progress in this field.

[Neovascularisation and free microsurgical transfer of cartilage-engineered constructs].

Background: Clinical imperatives for new cartilage to replace or restore the function of traumatized or missing tissue as a consequence of trauma, inherent malformations or disease has led to the need for therapies or procedures to generate cartilage for clinical applications. To ensure shape, function, and survival, in vitro cartilage-engineered constructs need to be revascularized. This study presents a viable method for neovascularization and free microsurgical transfer of these in vitro constructs.

[Microsurgical thumb replantation following traumatic amputation: preliminary results in Hanoi, Vietnam].

Introduction: Replantation using microsurgical techniques is a fairly new procedure in Vietnam. We reviewed and evaluated our 7-year results of thumb replantation in Vietnamese patients following traumatic thumb amputation.

Material And Methods: Traumatic thumb amputations between September 1999 and July 2006 were reexamined and evaluated.

Comparison of effective use of implanted vascular pedicles for skin flap prefabrication: an experimental study.

Thin, large, well-vascularized, and axial-pattern flaps are often desired in the clinical practice of defect reconstruction to maximize esthetic and functional results. Flap prefabrication based on the neovascularization development following vascular pedicle implantation allows surgeons to create such flaps as required. Using different types of implanted vascular pedicles, the aim of the study was to identify the most effective and suitable types of pedicles for clinical use.

Complete middle forearm amputations after avulsion injuries--microsurgical replantation results in Vietnamese patients.

Background: Replantation after complete avulsion amputations at the level of the middle forearm is rarely reported in the literature and remains one of the most difficult challenges for microsurgeons. Microsurgery and its clinical applications are new procedures in Vietnam. The purpose of this article is to evaluate our replantation results in Vietnamese patients relating to this type of injury using microsurgical techniques.