Assessment of Salvage Potential Acute care of a burned lower extremity prioritizes circulation and coverage. These goals are achieved through escharotomies and fasciotomies as necessary and excision and coverage of the burn wounds. Reconstruction of lower-extremity burn sequelae, however, requires…
Introduction Burns of the perineal area are relatively uncommon despite the common involvement of the lower trunk and the lower extremities in burn injuries. The incidence of perineal burns was reported at around 12/1000 admissions more than 25 years ago.…
Introduction The hand is a primary means of communication, aesthetics, emotion, and sexuality. It exists at the core of our humanity. Particularly in the modern age of digital communication, the inability to interface with the digital world via hands is…
Introduction Burn injuries, regardless of the etiology, rarely involve a joint itself. However the joint function is often impaired because of burns. The joint problems and joint deformities noted in burn patients are mostly due to physical inactivity combined with…
Introduction Burn injuries to the trunk may have functional and cosmetic consequences. The torso, abdomen, and back connect anatomically with the shoulder girdle and the axilla laterally, with the neck superiorly, and with the groin tissue and the lower limbs…
Introduction The importance of burn involvement of the scalp is due to its very visible location on the body. Deformities of the scalp may not always be easy to hide or camouflage, causing great distress to the individual. In large…
Introduction Reconstruction of the head and neck following burn injuries presents great challenges and great opportunities. Successful treatment requires sound surgical judgment and technical expertise, as well as a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of the burn wound and contractures.…
The severity of burn injuries can usually be ascertained if not by patient survival then by the consequences of the injury: scar hyperplasia/hypertrophy, scar contracture, and structural deformities due to loss of bodily components. Since bodily deformity is closely related…
Acknowledgment This chapter was originally written by E. Burke Evans, MD. He passed away in May 2012. We are indebted to his knowledge of burn care. Care was taken to preserve as much of his original material while adding new…
Introduction The physical rehabilitation of patients who have sustained a burn injury is a serious undertaking and requires, among other disciplines, the involvement of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and exercise physiology in order to produce the best functional and cosmetic…