A comparison between primary and secondary toe-to-hand transplantation.

Although primary toe-to-hand transplantation is performed with increasing frequency, its use is still controversial because of the lack of any comparative studies documenting its safety and efficacy. Between August of 1990 and December of 1993, 175 consecutive toe-to-hand transplantations for crush and avulsion injuries were performed in 122 patients. The average interval between injury and primary reconstruction was 7 days, and the average interval between injury and secondary reconstruction was 10.