Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of the first dorsal metatarsal artery pedicled lateral toe bilobed flap in repairing the finger pulp defects of two adjacent fingers.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From January 2018 to December 2022, 9 patients with finger pulp defects in two adjacent fingers who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of the 988 th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, including 6 males and 3 females, aged 26 to 48 years. The injured fingers were the index finger and middle finger (5 cases) or the middle finger and ring finger (4 cases). After debridement, the wound area of a single finger ranged from 1.2 cm×0.8 cm to 3.2 cm×2.8 cm. The finger pulp defects of two adjacent fingers were repaired with the first dorsal metatarsal artery pedicled lateral toe bilobed flap, and the two adjacent fingers were sutured together. The area of single flap ranged from 1.5 cm×1.0 cm to 3.5 cm×3.0 cm. The wound in the flap donor site was sutured directly or repaired with full-thickness skin graft from the groin region. The finger separation surgery was performed 3 weeks after surgery. The survival and blood supply of flaps, and survival of skin grafts and wound healing of the donor sites were observed after surgery. During follow-up, the texture, sliding, and shape of the flap, movement function of the finger, and the shape and function of the foot donor site were observed. At the last follow-up, the sensory of the flap was evaluated according to the sensory evaluation standard of the British Medical Research Council, and the hand function was evaluated according to the functional evaluation trial standard for severed finger replantation of the Hand Surgery Society of the Chinese Medical Association. Results:After surgery, all the flaps of 9 patients survived without vascular crisis. The flaps were soft in texture and good in shape. One patient had partial necrosis at the edge of the skin graft in the toe, and the wound healed after dressing change; the skin grafts in the toe in the other 8 patients survived, and the wounds healed well. During follow-up of 12 to 18 months after surgery, the flaps had soft texture, good elasticity, low sliding, and good shape. The finger movement function was normal. The wound in foot donor site recovered well without ulceration and deformity, and walking was not affected. At the last follow-up, the sensation of the flaps was sensitive, of which 8 flaps reached S3 and 10 flaps reached S3 + in sensation, and the two-point discrimination distance of the flaps was 9-13 mm. The functional scores of the affected fingers were 85 to 95, all of which were excellent. Conclusions:The first dorsal metatarsal artery pedicled lateral toe bilobed flap can repair finger pulp defects of two adjacent fingers at the same time, and the appearance, sensation, and function of the affected fingers recovered well after surgery, with less damage to the foot donor site. It is one of good methods to repair finger pulp defects of two adjacent fingers in clinic.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of anterolateral thigh perforator flap (ALTPF) in treatment of extensive wound of Degree IV burns in limbs.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 9 patients who had extensive wound of Degree IV burns in limbs caused by stove burns admitted to Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, the 988th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese PLA between January 2017 and January 2024. Among the patients, there were 8 males and 1 female, aged between 36 and 63 years. Three patients had the wound from anterior leg to dorsal foot, 3 from leg down to ankle, 1 from forearm to hand and 2 from arm to forearm. Area of burns ranged from 20 cm × 15 cm to 30 cm × 25 cm, and all patients were treated by free ALTPF. According to whether the main artery at the recipient site was feasible for direct anastomosis with the vessels carried in flap, 4 patients were treated by bilateral parallel ALTPFs, and 5 were treated by unilateral ultra-long internally supercharged ALTPF. A total of 13 ALTPFs were harvested, with individual flap size at 20 cm × 8 cm to 46 cm × 12 cm. Donor sites were directly sutured. Time for flap harvesting, flap survival and wound healing time were records. Scheduled postoperative follow-up was conducted at outpatient clinic and via telephone interviews to evaluate functional recovery. Follow-up assessments included evaluation of flap condition, two-point discrimination (TPD), recovery of joint function at recipient sites, flap appearance and donor site recovery.Results:The time for flap harvest was 1.0 to 4.5 hours. All 13 ALTPFs successfully survived. The time from surgery to healing of recipient sites was 18 to 72 days, and all donor sites healed. Over the postoperative follow-up that lasted for 6 to 34 months, the recipient sites had found with good cosmetic outcomes, without osteomyelitis or deep tissue infection. Four ALTPFs in 2 patients were found swelling, which were revised at 6 months after surgery. Four ALTPFs in other 2 patients had pigment deposition at edges. One ALTPF was scalded, which healed after dressing changes but left with patchy scars. The remaining ALTPFs were soft, elastic, free from pain and well-perfused, with regained protective sensation at S 3. However, all of the ALTPFs failed to detect TPD. Six patients with lower limb injuries were evaluated using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle hindfoot scoring system: 2 patients were rated as excellent and 4 were rated as good. Three patients with upper limb injuries were evaluated using Evaluation Trial Standards of Upper Limb Partial Functional of Hand Surgery of Chinese Medical Association: 1 patient was rated as excellent and 2 were rated as good. Only linear scars left at the 13 donor sites, with normal blood supply to the distal limbs, and without restrictions in range of motion of knee joints nor muscle strength of quadriceps. Conclusion:The ALTPF offers advantages such as anatomical consistency, reliable blood supply and flexible combination in treatment of extensive wound of Degree Ⅳ burns in limbs. It is an ideal surgical procedure for treatment of large soft tissue defects of extremities.

Hypertrophic scar is a fibrous hyperplastic disorder that arises from skin injuries. The current therapeutic modalities are constrained by the dense and rigid scar tissue which impedes effective drug delivery. Additionally, insufficient autophagic activity in fibroblasts hinders their apoptosis, leading to excessive matrix deposition. Here, we developed an active microneedle (MN) system to overcome these challenges by integrating micromotor-driven drug delivery with autophagy regulation to remodel the scar microenvironment. Specifically, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid were introduced into the MNs as a built-in engine to generate CO₂ bubbles, thereby enabling enhanced lateral and vertical drug diffusion into dense scar tissue. The system concurrently encapsulated curcumin (Cur), an autophagy activator, and triamcinolone acetonide (TA), synergistically inducing fibroblast apoptosis by upregulating autophagic activity. In vitro studies demonstrated that active MNs achieved efficient drug penetration within isolated scar tissue. The rabbit hypertrophic scar model revealed that TA-Cur MNs significantly reduced the scar elevation index, suppressed collagen I and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression, and elevated LC3 protein levels. These findings highlight the potential of the active MN system as an efficacious platform for autonomous augmented drug delivery and autophagy-targeted therapy in fibrotic disorder treatments.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of anterolateral thigh perforator flap (ALTPF) in treatment of extensive wound of Degree IV burns in limbs.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 9 patients who had extensive wound of Degree IV burns in limbs caused by stove burns admitted to Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, the 988th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese PLA between January 2017 and January 2024. Among the patients, there were 8 males and 1 female, aged between 36 and 63 years. Three patients had the wound from anterior leg to dorsal foot, 3 from leg down to ankle, 1 from forearm to hand and 2 from arm to forearm. Area of burns ranged from 20 cm × 15 cm to 30 cm × 25 cm, and all patients were treated by free ALTPF. According to whether the main artery at the recipient site was feasible for direct anastomosis with the vessels carried in flap, 4 patients were treated by bilateral parallel ALTPFs, and 5 were treated by unilateral ultra-long internally supercharged ALTPF. A total of 13 ALTPFs were harvested, with individual flap size at 20 cm × 8 cm to 46 cm × 12 cm. Donor sites were directly sutured. Time for flap harvesting, flap survival and wound healing time were records. Scheduled postoperative follow-up was conducted at outpatient clinic and via telephone interviews to evaluate functional recovery. Follow-up assessments included evaluation of flap condition, two-point discrimination (TPD), recovery of joint function at recipient sites, flap appearance and donor site recovery.Results:The time for flap harvest was 1.0 to 4.5 hours. All 13 ALTPFs successfully survived. The time from surgery to healing of recipient sites was 18 to 72 days, and all donor sites healed. Over the postoperative follow-up that lasted for 6 to 34 months, the recipient sites had found with good cosmetic outcomes, without osteomyelitis or deep tissue infection. Four ALTPFs in 2 patients were found swelling, which were revised at 6 months after surgery. Four ALTPFs in other 2 patients had pigment deposition at edges. One ALTPF was scalded, which healed after dressing changes but left with patchy scars. The remaining ALTPFs were soft, elastic, free from pain and well-perfused, with regained protective sensation at S 3. However, all of the ALTPFs failed to detect TPD. Six patients with lower limb injuries were evaluated using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle hindfoot scoring system: 2 patients were rated as excellent and 4 were rated as good. Three patients with upper limb injuries were evaluated using Evaluation Trial Standards of Upper Limb Partial Functional of Hand Surgery of Chinese Medical Association: 1 patient was rated as excellent and 2 were rated as good. Only linear scars left at the 13 donor sites, with normal blood supply to the distal limbs, and without restrictions in range of motion of knee joints nor muscle strength of quadriceps. Conclusion:The ALTPF offers advantages such as anatomical consistency, reliable blood supply and flexible combination in treatment of extensive wound of Degree Ⅳ burns in limbs. It is an ideal surgical procedure for treatment of large soft tissue defects of extremities.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of the first dorsal metatarsal artery pedicled lateral toe bilobed flap in repairing the finger pulp defects of two adjacent fingers.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From January 2018 to December 2022, 9 patients with finger pulp defects in two adjacent fingers who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of the 988 th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, including 6 males and 3 females, aged 26 to 48 years. The injured fingers were the index finger and middle finger (5 cases) or the middle finger and ring finger (4 cases). After debridement, the wound area of a single finger ranged from 1.2 cm×0.8 cm to 3.2 cm×2.8 cm. The finger pulp defects of two adjacent fingers were repaired with the first dorsal metatarsal artery pedicled lateral toe bilobed flap, and the two adjacent fingers were sutured together. The area of single flap ranged from 1.5 cm×1.0 cm to 3.5 cm×3.0 cm. The wound in the flap donor site was sutured directly or repaired with full-thickness skin graft from the groin region. The finger separation surgery was performed 3 weeks after surgery. The survival and blood supply of flaps, and survival of skin grafts and wound healing of the donor sites were observed after surgery. During follow-up, the texture, sliding, and shape of the flap, movement function of the finger, and the shape and function of the foot donor site were observed. At the last follow-up, the sensory of the flap was evaluated according to the sensory evaluation standard of the British Medical Research Council, and the hand function was evaluated according to the functional evaluation trial standard for severed finger replantation of the Hand Surgery Society of the Chinese Medical Association. Results:After surgery, all the flaps of 9 patients survived without vascular crisis. The flaps were soft in texture and good in shape. One patient had partial necrosis at the edge of the skin graft in the toe, and the wound healed after dressing change; the skin grafts in the toe in the other 8 patients survived, and the wounds healed well. During follow-up of 12 to 18 months after surgery, the flaps had soft texture, good elasticity, low sliding, and good shape. The finger movement function was normal. The wound in foot donor site recovered well without ulceration and deformity, and walking was not affected. At the last follow-up, the sensation of the flaps was sensitive, of which 8 flaps reached S3 and 10 flaps reached S3 + in sensation, and the two-point discrimination distance of the flaps was 9-13 mm. The functional scores of the affected fingers were 85 to 95, all of which were excellent. Conclusions:The first dorsal metatarsal artery pedicled lateral toe bilobed flap can repair finger pulp defects of two adjacent fingers at the same time, and the appearance, sensation, and function of the affected fingers recovered well after surgery, with less damage to the foot donor site. It is one of good methods to repair finger pulp defects of two adjacent fingers in clinic.

Objective:To explore the clinical effects of parallel combined flow-through perforator flaps in the treatment of circular hot crush injuries in limbs with blood supply disorder.Methods:The study was a retrospective observational study. From April 2016 to December 2022, 4 cases with circular hot crush injuries in limbs with blood supply disorder were admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of the 988 th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, including 3 males and 1 female, aged from 24 to 48 years. Among them, 2 cases were injured in the calf and 2 cases were injured in the forearm. After emergency debridement, the area of skin and soft tissue defects was from 20 cm×20 cm to 44 cm×20 cm. The patients had defects in tibialis anterior and posterior tibial arteries with a length of 13 to 18 cm, and in ulnar and radial arteries with a length of 9 to 12 cm. Flaps were designed and cut, including a flow-through anterolateral thigh perforator flap with area of 20 cm×9 cm to 24 cm×21 cm carrying the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and the accompanying veins of 8 to 18 cm in length; and a flow-through posterior tibial artery perforator flap with area of 21 cm×13 cm and 20 cm×14 cm carrying the posterior tibial artery, the accompanying veins with a length of 14 and 17 cm respectively, and the great saphenous vein with a length of 22 and 21 cm. The circular hot crush injury wounds in the calf with blood supply disorder were repaired by a parallel combination of flow-through posterior tibial artery perforator flap and flow-through anterolateral thigh perforator flap, and the circular hot crush injury wounds in the forearm with blood supply disorder were repaired by a parallel combination of bilateral flow-through anterolateral thigh perforator flap, and the injured main vessels were reconstructed. The donor site wounds of flap were closed directly or treated with split-thickness skin grafts from abdomen. After surgery, the blood supply and survival of the flap and distal affected limb, the healing of wounds in the donor and recipient sites, the survival of the skin graft in the flap donor site were observed. During follow-up, the condition of flaps, the appearance, blood supply, and function of affected limbs were observed. At the last follow-up, the foot and ankle functions were evaluated according to the scoring standards of American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Association, and the wrist and hand function was evaluated according to the trial standard of replantation of amputated upper limb function assessment of the Hand Surgery of Chinese Medical Association. Results:The flaps and distal affected limbs of 4 patients had good blood circulation and successfully survived after surgery. The wounds of 3 cases successfully healed, while one patient with circular hot crush injury in the forearm experienced exudation in the recipient site in the later stage, and the wound healed after re-expansion and suturing. The donor site wounds healed smoothly, and the skin grafts successfully survived. During follow-up of 12 to 24 months after surgery, the flaps were slightly swollen, the limbs had good appearance, normal blood circulation, and fine functional recovery. At the last follow-up, the foot and ankle function of 2 patients with circular hot crush injuries in the calf was evaluated as good in 1 case and commonly in 1 case; the wrist and hand function of 2 patients with circular hot crush injuries in the forearm was evaluated as excellent in 1 case and good in 1 case.Conclusions:The parallel combined flow-through perforator flap can reconstruct the damaged main blood vessels and repair the wound at the same time. It can not only effectively save the limb, but also restore part of the function of the affected limb. It is one of the effective methods to treat the circular hot crush injuries in limbs with blood supply disorder.

BACKGROUND: Severe hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is a life-threatening contagious disease among young children and infants. Although enterovirus A71 has been well acknowledged to be the dominant cause of severe HFMD, there still remain other unidentified risk factors for severe HFMD. Previous studies mainly focused on identifying the individual-level risk factors from a clinical perspective, while rare studies aimed to clarify the association between regional-level risk factors and severe HFMD, which may be more important from a public health perspective. METHODS: We retrieved the clinical HFMD counts between 2008 and 2014 from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which were used to calculated the case-severity rate in 143 prefectural-level cities in mainland China. For each of those 143 cities, we further obtained city-specific characteristics from the China City Statistical Yearbook (social and economic variables) and the national meteorological monitoring system (meteorological variables). A Poisson regression model was then used to estimate the associations between city-specific characteristics (reduced by the principal component analysis to avoid multicollinearity) and the case-severity rate of HFMD. The above analysis was further stratified by age and gender to examine potential modifying effects and vulnerable sub-populations. RESULTS: We found that the case-severity rate of HFMD varied dramatically between cities, ranging from 0 to 8.09%. Cities with high case-severity rates were mainly clustered in Central China. By relating the case-severity rate to city-specific characteristics, we found that both the principal component characterized by a high level of social and economic development (RR = 0.823, 95%CI 0.739, 0.916) and another that characterized by warm and humid climate (RR = 0.771, 95%CI 0.619, 0.960) were negatively associated with the case-severity rate of HFMD. These estimations were consistent across age and gender sub-populations. CONCLUSION Except for the type of infected pathogen, the case-severity rate of HFMD was closely related to city development and meteorological factor. These findings suggest that social and environmental factors may also play an important role in the progress of severe HFMD.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China/epidemiology* ; Cities/epidemiology* ; Female ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease/virology* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Risk Factors

Tumor recurrence after surgery is the main cause of treatment failure. However, the initial stage of recurrence is not easy to detect, and it is difficult to cure in the late stage. In order to improve the life quality of postoperative patients, an efficient synergistic immunotherapy was developed to achieve early diagnosis and treatment of post-surgical tumor recurrence, simultaneously. In this paper, two kinds of theranostic agents based on gold nanorods (AuNRs) platform were prepared. AuNRs and quantum dots (QDs) in one agent was used for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology to indicate the occurrence of