The Usefulness of Retroauricular Full Thickness Skin Graft in Hand Reconstruction

Kim,  Hong Il; Lee,  Sang Hwan; Hwang,  So Min; Jung,  Yong Hui; Kim,  Hyung Do

doi:2014.19.3.109

Arch Hand Microsurg > Volume 19(3); 2014 > Article

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand 2014;19(3):109-115.
Published online September 30, 2014.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12790/jkssh.2014.19.3.109

The Usefulness of Retroauricular Full Thickness Skin Graft in Hand Reconstruction

Hong Il Kim, Sang Hwan Lee, So Min Hwang, Yong Hui Jung, Hyung Do Kim

Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center, Good Moonhwa Hospital, Busan, Korea. Sangwind@hanmail.net

Received: 24 May 2014 • Revised: 22 July 2014 • Accepted: 5 August 2014

Abstract

Purpose
We used the retroauricular area skin as an alternative full-thickness skin donor site in the hand reconstruction surgery.

Methods
From January 2006 to March 2013, 55 patients observed more than 1 year, were recruited for the study. In case of requiring the skin graft on hand, we grafted skins were harvested from the retroauricular area on hand. To assess the subjective and objective satisfaction, the patients themselves and three doctors compared the skin graft area's color with adjacent skin and estimated the donor site scar on a five-point scale.

Results
A partial necrosis was seen in one case who received skin graft because of a burn scar contracture, but it was cured with conservative treatment. In other cases, the skin graft was well taken without any specific problems. The retroauricular skin graft showed good color match with adjacent skin and less pigmentation. Donor site scar was not noticeable. As a result, the patient's subjective satisfaction (4.07) and doctor's objective satisfaction (4.18) about skin graft were very good. And the patient's subjective satisfaction (4.93) and doctor's objective satisfaction (4.98) about donor site scar were also very good.

Conclusion
We obtained the favorable result and the patients satisfaction by using the retroauricular area as a full thickness skin graft donor site in hand.