BACKGROUND The free transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap has proven to be a reliable means of recreating the aesthetic breast form after mastectomy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether neurotization of the free TRAM flap improved sensation of the reconstructed breast. METHODS Twenty-seven patients undergoing 37 free TRAM flap reconstructions were randomized ...

Concepts of neuronal damage and repair date back to ancient times. The research in this topic has been growing ever since and numerous nerve repair techniques have evolved throughout the years. Due to our greater understanding of nerve injuries and repair we now distinguish between central and peripheral nervous system. In this review, we have chosen to concentrate on peripheral nerve injuries ...

Brachial plexus injuries, in all their severity and complexity, have been extensively studied. Although brachial plexus injuries are associated with serious and often definitive sequelae, many concepts have changed since the 1950s, when this pathological condition began to be treated more aggressively. Looking back over the last 20 years, it can be seen that the entire approach, from diagnosis ...

Brachial plexus injury (BPI) is a severe peripheral nerve injury affecting upper extremities, causing functional damage and physical disability. The most common cause of adult BPI is a traffic accident, and the incidence has steadily increased since the 1980s. BPIs can be divided into three types; preganglionic lesion, postganglionic lesion, and a combination of both. Whether the continuation o...

Nestin, a class VI intermediate filament protein, was originally described as a neural stem cell/progenitor cell marker. Expression of nestin has been reported to be associated with the migration and metastasis of various types of tumor. In the present study, we examined the expression of nestin in malignant melanomas and nevi. Immunohistochemical...

BACKGROUND To determine whether monitoring end- tidal Carbon Dioxide (capnography) can be used to reliably identify the phrenic nerve during the supraclavicular exploration for brachial plexus injury. METHODS Three consecutive patients with traction pan-brachial plexus injuries scheduled for neurotization were evaluated under an anesthetic protocol to allow intraoperative electrophysiology. M...

The lack of vascularization in the tissue engineered bone results in poor survival and ossification. Tissue engineered bone can be wrapped in the soft tissue flaps which are rich in blood supply to complete the vascularization in vivo by microsurgical technique, and the surface of the bone graft can be invaded with new vascular network. The intrinsic vascularization can be induced via a blood v...