Objective:To explore the clinical application effect of allogeneic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) in the repair of asymmetric nail fold deformity after complete syndactyly surgery in children.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children with secondary asymmetric nail fold deformity after complete syndactyly surgery treated at the Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from January 2022 to December 2023. The patients required a secondary surgical repair due to insufficient soft tissue capacity with or without scar contracture, causing asymmetry of the nail fold after finger separation at the distal end following syndactyly surgery. During the operation, continuous Z-plasty was designed along the original surgical scar axis and incised towards the proximal end of the lateral nail fold, followed by thorough scar release. Scar debulking surgery was performed if there was significant local scar hyperplasia. A tunnel was created from the incision site near the lateral nail fold to reach the fingertip subcutaneously. ADM was filled into this tunnel until a satisfactory appearance of the lateral nail fold was achieved. The flaps were then closed by cross-suturing. Regular follow-up observations were conducted on the incision healing, scar, and appearance of the finger, and aesthetic evaluation according to Bulic’s standards was performed, classifying them into four grades: excellent, good, fair, and poor.Results:The study enrolled 12 patients, and nail fold asymmetry appeared 3 to 6 months after surgery, with 8 males and 4 females, ranging from 1 to 9 years old (average age 4.6 years). Affected digits included both hands in 7 cases and one hand in 5 cases, totaling 38 fingers. All 12 cases including 25 fingers presented with insufficient distal capacity in their fingers; seven cases including 16 fingers also had scar contracture resulting in poor appearance. All procedures were successfully performed. Post-operatively, one case of necrosis at the tip of the scar flap was observed after 12 days of removing the dressing but healed after dressing changes, and no infections or flap necrosis occurred in the remaining patients, with the incisions healing primarily. Follow-up periods ranged from 1 to 24 months, with an average duration of 13.6 months. All patients achieved the restoration of soft tissue capacity in the finger lateral nail fold, varying degrees of correction for asymmetrical nail fold deformities, and complete release for scar contracture, with 7 fingers in 4 cases rated as excellent, 12 fingers in 5 cases as good, 4 fingers in 2 cases as fair, and 2 fingers in one case as poor in evaluation of fingertip appearance.Conclusion:The use of ADM for filling is effective in restoring soft tissue capacity and correcting asymmetrical deformities caused by secondary nail fold abnormalities after complete syndactyly repair surgery in children. It has shown good clinical outcomes with minimal complications.

Objective:To explore the clinical application effect of allogeneic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) in the repair of asymmetric nail fold deformity after complete syndactyly surgery in children.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children with secondary asymmetric nail fold deformity after complete syndactyly surgery treated at the Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from January 2022 to December 2023. The patients required a secondary surgical repair due to insufficient soft tissue capacity with or without scar contracture, causing asymmetry of the nail fold after finger separation at the distal end following syndactyly surgery. During the operation, continuous Z-plasty was designed along the original surgical scar axis and incised towards the proximal end of the lateral nail fold, followed by thorough scar release. Scar debulking surgery was performed if there was significant local scar hyperplasia. A tunnel was created from the incision site near the lateral nail fold to reach the fingertip subcutaneously. ADM was filled into this tunnel until a satisfactory appearance of the lateral nail fold was achieved. The flaps were then closed by cross-suturing. Regular follow-up observations were conducted on the incision healing, scar, and appearance of the finger, and aesthetic evaluation according to Bulic’s standards was performed, classifying them into four grades: excellent, good, fair, and poor.Results:The study enrolled 12 patients, and nail fold asymmetry appeared 3 to 6 months after surgery, with 8 males and 4 females, ranging from 1 to 9 years old (average age 4.6 years). Affected digits included both hands in 7 cases and one hand in 5 cases, totaling 38 fingers. All 12 cases including 25 fingers presented with insufficient distal capacity in their fingers; seven cases including 16 fingers also had scar contracture resulting in poor appearance. All procedures were successfully performed. Post-operatively, one case of necrosis at the tip of the scar flap was observed after 12 days of removing the dressing but healed after dressing changes, and no infections or flap necrosis occurred in the remaining patients, with the incisions healing primarily. Follow-up periods ranged from 1 to 24 months, with an average duration of 13.6 months. All patients achieved the restoration of soft tissue capacity in the finger lateral nail fold, varying degrees of correction for asymmetrical nail fold deformities, and complete release for scar contracture, with 7 fingers in 4 cases rated as excellent, 12 fingers in 5 cases as good, 4 fingers in 2 cases as fair, and 2 fingers in one case as poor in evaluation of fingertip appearance.Conclusion:The use of ADM for filling is effective in restoring soft tissue capacity and correcting asymmetrical deformities caused by secondary nail fold abnormalities after complete syndactyly repair surgery in children. It has shown good clinical outcomes with minimal complications.

Keloid is a type of skin fibroproliferative disease, characterized by excessive deposition of collagen in the extracellular matrix. There are many therapies for treating keloids now. However, the outcome of keloids treatment is still unsatisfied due to high recurrence rate. In recent years, polypeptides have shown great potential for preventing and treating keloid. These polypeptides are derived from cytokines, hormones and in vivo protehydrolysis. Polypeptides may inhibit the activation of fibroblasts, reduce the deposition of collagen and other extracellular matrix through multiple mechanisms. The article reviews current research progress on the roles of polypeptides and underlying mechanisms in keloid and provides reference for relevant research.

Objective:To investigate the treatment of autologous fat grafting (AFG) for breast reconstruction of soft tissue defects in pediatric Poland syndrome (PS) with computer-assisted calculation.Methods:Patients with PS were recruited in Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to January 2021. The children were divided into two groups: CT-assisted group and control group. CT-assisted group were examined by CT scan before operation. The imaging data were imported to 3D Slicer Software. Three -dimensional (3D) reconstruction of thoracis soft tissue in defected side were created in the software with the healthy side served as controls. The obtained 3D image was divided into six sections and the volume of each section was calculated. The interest 3D model was fabricated by using a 3D resin printer. The autologous fat grafting was made in PS patients under the 3D printing model guidance. Patients in control group for AFG that the volume of fat determined by surgeon experience without CT scan. The following outcomes were studied: postoperative breast contour, local complications and major systemic complications. Patients were reviewed at six months postoperatively. The satisfaction scores were made by physicians and patient’s guardians, respectively. The scores were analyzed by the independent samples t-test. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:18 patients is in CT-assisted group, 8 males, 12 females, the age range from 3-12 years, mean age: 8.3 years. 10 cases underwent once injection, 6 cases underwent twice injections and 3 times in 2 cases, the average is 1.5 times. 18 patients are in control group, 4 males, 14 females, the age range from 4-14 years, mean age: 8.1 years. 8 cases underwent once injection, twice in 5 cases, and 3 times in 5 cases, the average is 1.8 times. The follow-up ranged from 1 to 2 years. The chests were essentially symmetrical and upper limb and thoracic functions were unaffected, no serious local and systematic complications were observed in the CT-assisted group. Thoracic deformities were improved to various degrees in control group. There was chest induration in two cases at 6-month follow-up, which disappeared at 1-year follow-up without any treatment. The physician satisfaction score grades in the control group and CT-assisted group: very satisfied 7 and l2 cases, satisfied 8 and 6 cases, general 3, respectively. The patient’s satisfaction score grades in the control group and CT-assisted group: very satisfied 7 and l2 cases, satisfied 10 and 6cases, general 1 , respectively. The physician satisfaction scores in the CT-assisted group and control group were 83.56±7.90, 75.67±13.63, respectively, which showing statistically significant differences ( t=2.13, P=0.041). Furthermore, the patient’s guardian satisfaction scores in the CT-assisted group and control group are 84.39±7.77, 78.28±9.82, respectively, which showing statistically significant differences ( t=2.07, P=0.046). Conclusions:AFG under computer guidance is an individualized surgical method based on children’s own characteristics in improving chest deformity of PS patients, following with high postoperative satisfaction.

Keloid is a type of skin fibroproliferative disease, characterized by excessive deposition of collagen in the extracellular matrix. There are many therapies for treating keloids now. However, the outcome of keloids treatment is still unsatisfied due to high recurrence rate. In recent years, polypeptides have shown great potential for preventing and treating keloid. These polypeptides are derived from cytokines, hormones and in vivo protehydrolysis. Polypeptides may inhibit the activation of fibroblasts, reduce the deposition of collagen and other extracellular matrix through multiple mechanisms. The article reviews current research progress on the roles of polypeptides and underlying mechanisms in keloid and provides reference for relevant research.

Objective:To investigate the treatment of autologous fat grafting (AFG) for breast reconstruction of soft tissue defects in pediatric Poland syndrome (PS) with computer-assisted calculation.Methods:Patients with PS were recruited in Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to January 2021. The children were divided into two groups: CT-assisted group and control group. CT-assisted group were examined by CT scan before operation. The imaging data were imported to 3D Slicer Software. Three -dimensional (3D) reconstruction of thoracis soft tissue in defected side were created in the software with the healthy side served as controls. The obtained 3D image was divided into six sections and the volume of each section was calculated. The interest 3D model was fabricated by using a 3D resin printer. The autologous fat grafting was made in PS patients under the 3D printing model guidance. Patients in control group for AFG that the volume of fat determined by surgeon experience without CT scan. The following outcomes were studied: postoperative breast contour, local complications and major systemic complications. Patients were reviewed at six months postoperatively. The satisfaction scores were made by physicians and patient’s guardians, respectively. The scores were analyzed by the independent samples t-test. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:18 patients is in CT-assisted group, 8 males, 12 females, the age range from 3-12 years, mean age: 8.3 years. 10 cases underwent once injection, 6 cases underwent twice injections and 3 times in 2 cases, the average is 1.5 times. 18 patients are in control group, 4 males, 14 females, the age range from 4-14 years, mean age: 8.1 years. 8 cases underwent once injection, twice in 5 cases, and 3 times in 5 cases, the average is 1.8 times. The follow-up ranged from 1 to 2 years. The chests were essentially symmetrical and upper limb and thoracic functions were unaffected, no serious local and systematic complications were observed in the CT-assisted group. Thoracic deformities were improved to various degrees in control group. There was chest induration in two cases at 6-month follow-up, which disappeared at 1-year follow-up without any treatment. The physician satisfaction score grades in the control group and CT-assisted group: very satisfied 7 and l2 cases, satisfied 8 and 6 cases, general 3, respectively. The patient’s satisfaction score grades in the control group and CT-assisted group: very satisfied 7 and l2 cases, satisfied 10 and 6cases, general 1 , respectively. The physician satisfaction scores in the CT-assisted group and control group were 83.56±7.90, 75.67±13.63, respectively, which showing statistically significant differences ( t=2.13, P=0.041). Furthermore, the patient’s guardian satisfaction scores in the CT-assisted group and control group are 84.39±7.77, 78.28±9.82, respectively, which showing statistically significant differences ( t=2.07, P=0.046). Conclusions:AFG under computer guidance is an individualized surgical method based on children’s own characteristics in improving chest deformity of PS patients, following with high postoperative satisfaction.

Objective:To establish the acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture (ASOTLF) classification system, and to examine the reliability and evaluate the effect of clinical application.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 1 293 patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture(OTLF) admitted to Honghui Hospital from January 2016 to December 2018. There were 514 males and 779 females, aged 57-90 years [(71.4±6.3)years]. The T value of bone mass density was -5.0--2.5 SD [(-3.1±-0.4)SD]. According to the clinical symptoms a and fracture morphology, OTLF was divided into 4 types, namely type I(I occult fracture), type II(compressed fracture), type III (burst fracture) and type IV(unstable fracture). The type II was subdivided into three subtypes (type IIA, IIB, IIC), and the Type III into two subtypes (type IIIA, IIIB). of all patients, 75 patients (5.8%) were with type I, 500 (38.7%) with type II A, 134 (10.4%) with type IIB, 97 (7.5%) with type IIC, 442 (34.2%) with type IIIA, 27(2.1%) with type IIIB and 18 (1.4%) with type IV. After testing the validity of the classification, different treatment methods were utilized according to the classification, including percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for Type I, PVP after postural reduction for Type II, percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for Type IIIA, posterior reduction and decompression, bone graft fusion and bone cement-augmented screw fixation for Type IIIB, and posterior reduction, bone graft fusion and bone cement-augmented screw fixation for Type IV. The visual analog score (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), Frankel grade of spinal cord injury, local Cobb Angle, and vertebral body angle (vertebral body angle) were recorded in all patients and in each type of patients before surgery, at 1 month after surgery and at the last follow-up. The neurological function recovery and complications were also recorded.Results:The patients were followed up for 24-43 months [(29.9±5.1)months]. A total of 3 000 assessments in two rounds were conducted by three observers. The overall κ value of inter-observer credibility was 0.83, and the overall κ value of intra-observer credibility was 0.88. The VAS and ODI of all patients were (5.8±0.7)points and 72.5±6.6 before surgery, (1.8±0.6)points and 25.0±6.3 at 1 month after surgery, and (1.5±0.6)points and 19.5±6.2 at the last follow-up, respectively (all P<0.05). The Cobb angle and vertebral body angle of all patients were (13.0±9.1)° and (8.0±4.6)° before surgery, (7.9±5.2)° and (4.6±2.9)° at 1 month after surgery, and (9.1±6.0)° and (5.8±3.0)° at the last follow-up, respectively (all P<0.05). At the last follow-up, VAS, ODI, Cobb Angle and VBA of each type of patients were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (all P<0.05). The spinal cord compression symptoms were found 1 patient with type IV and 5 patients with type IIIB preoperatively. At the last follow-up, neurological function improved from grade C to grade E in 1 patient and from grade D to grade E in 5 patients ( P<0.05). The lower limb radiation pain or numbness in 3 patients with type IV and 22 patients with type III preoperatively were fully recovered after surgical treatment at the last follow-up except for three patients. Conclusions:The ASOTLF classification is established and has high consistency and reliability. The classification-oriented treatment strategy has achieved a relatively satisfactory effect, indicating that the classification has a certain guiding significance for treatment of OTLF.

Objective:To evaluate the value of the indocyanine green lymphography in diagnosing cystic lymphatic malformations (cLM) in children.Methods:Between October 2019 and August 2020, patients with cLM were treated in the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. After preoperative intracutaneous and subcutaneous injection of indocyanine green, a near-infrared fluorescence imaging system was performed to observe the lymph flow. The number, morphology, contraction frequency of afferent lymph vessels, as well as dermal backflow, were recorded.Results:Thirty-two cases of cLM were enrolled in this study. The male-to-female ratio was 18∶14, with age ranging from 3 months to 8 years. All cLMs were histologically categorized as macro-cystic (16 cases), micro-cystic (six cases), and mixed-cystic (ten cases). Only one afferent lymph vessel was detected in most of the macro-cystic cases (14/16) and mixed-cystic cases (8/10), while all micro-cystic cases (6/6) had more than two inflows. The afferent lymph vessel in macro-cystic cases and mixed-cystic cases demonstrated the normal structure. In contrast, the inflow vessels in micro-cystic LM were tortuous and small, and a dermal backflow was recorded in one case. The contraction frequency of the afferent lymphatic vessels ranged from 0.40 to 1.50 times per min, with an average of 0.80 times per min. Another two cases were confirmed not lymphangiogenic by indocyanine green lymphography and postoperative pathology.Conclusions:Indocyanine green lymphography renders a reliable, safe, and useful approach for diagnosing cLM. The application of this technique is considered effective for exploring the cLM pathogenesis, evaluation of differential diagnosis, and appropriate selection of surgical intervention.

Objective:To evaluate the value of the indocyanine green lymphography in diagnosing cystic lymphatic malformations (cLM) in children.Methods:Between October 2019 and August 2020, patients with cLM were treated in the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. After preoperative intracutaneous and subcutaneous injection of indocyanine green, a near-infrared fluorescence imaging system was performed to observe the lymph flow. The number, morphology, contraction frequency of afferent lymph vessels, as well as dermal backflow, were recorded.Results:Thirty-two cases of cLM were enrolled in this study. The male-to-female ratio was 18∶14, with age ranging from 3 months to 8 years. All cLMs were histologically categorized as macro-cystic (16 cases), micro-cystic (six cases), and mixed-cystic (ten cases). Only one afferent lymph vessel was detected in most of the macro-cystic cases (14/16) and mixed-cystic cases (8/10), while all micro-cystic cases (6/6) had more than two inflows. The afferent lymph vessel in macro-cystic cases and mixed-cystic cases demonstrated the normal structure. In contrast, the inflow vessels in micro-cystic LM were tortuous and small, and a dermal backflow was recorded in one case. The contraction frequency of the afferent lymphatic vessels ranged from 0.40 to 1.50 times per min, with an average of 0.80 times per min. Another two cases were confirmed not lymphangiogenic by indocyanine green lymphography and postoperative pathology.Conclusions:Indocyanine green lymphography renders a reliable, safe, and useful approach for diagnosing cLM. The application of this technique is considered effective for exploring the cLM pathogenesis, evaluation of differential diagnosis, and appropriate selection of surgical intervention.

Objective:To investigate the effect of continuous Z-flaps combined with scar debulking in correcting hyperplastic scar contracture deformity of children′s hand.Methods:From January 2016 to December 2018, 27 cases of children with scar contracture deformity after hand burn or scald were admitted to the Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery of Children′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, involving a total of 36 joint parts. 12 male patients and 15 female patients aged 10 months to 12.5 years were divided into mild, moderate and severe types according to the contracture angle of metacarpophalangeal joints and interphalangeal joints, so as to make the treatment plan. The transposition of flaps for wound closure was designed for both mild and moderate cases after continuous Z-flaps to release contracture deformity with scar debulking. For severe deformity, the transposition of flaps should be conducted to cover the wound after the complete release by continuous Z-flaps and scar debulking, and the residual wound was covered by free skin grafts. The hand function and appearance were followed up after operation.Results:In this study, 12 of the 36 joints were mildly deformed, 15 were moderately deformed, and 9 were severely deformed. No skin grafting was performed for mild and moderate deformities, and the amount of skin grafting was selectively reduced for severe deformities. All contracture joint deformities were completely corrected, with the follow-up period of 0.8-2.0 years, and no contracture deformities were found again. The hand joint function, skin flap color, texture of mild and moderate types were close to the surrounding normal skin. Severe type had only a small degree of pigmentation at the skin graft site. One 12.5-year-old child received second procedure 2 years later because of the poor elasticity of the skin graft and the tensions. The tension resolved after operation, with satisfactory results.Conclusions:Continuous Z-flaps combined with scar debulking could maximize the retention of skin of the scar surface and reduce the amount of skin grafts, providing an excellent method for the treatment of hand contracture deformities in children, with stable long-term postoperative effects.