Tissue-engineered Minimalistic Reconstruction of a Severely Crushed Fingertip.

Abstract

The goals of treatment for fingertip injuries are maximising digital length, tactile sensation, pulp padding, and fingertip appearance while minimising complications like infection and amputation. Currently, terminalisation, healing by secondary intention, and flap surgeries are widely used for crushing fingertip injuries, but they have their own set of issues and limitations. We present a tissue-engineered method by combining platelet-rich fibrin injections with stacked-up layers of synthetic biodegradable temporising matrix to treat a severely crushed fingertip. This novel therapy minimised reconstructions while successfully regenerating new soft-tissues. Soft-tissue regeneration within the stacked-up biodegradable matrix achieved adequate volume, sensation, function, and mobility of the newly reconstructed fingertip while maintaining its skeletal length. Notably, the regenerated fingertip allowed the patient to resume work normally as a busy software engineer. Thus, minimalistic fingertip reconstruction not only prevented a disability, but also served as a viable alternative to major reconstructive surgeries.