Soft tissue surgical reconstruction of distal phalanges in children. Review

Distal phalangeal traumas are among the most common injuries in children. Nowadays, no unified approach has been established for the treatment of children with distal phalangeal defects. Very few domestic publications have devoted to fingertip injuries in children. To date, one of the most common methods of treating children with distal phalangeal defects is the shortening of the finger with stump formation. In cases of distal phalangeal injuries, the most complete restoration of their length, contour, and sensitivity with the preservation of the widest range of motion, and lowest donor site morbidity are necessary. In this literature review, conservative and surgical treatments of patients with distal phalangeal defects are described. The main advantages and disadvantages of different treatment methods are highlighted. The systematic search was performed in databases of PubMed, Web of Science, eLibrary, Russian Science Citation Index, and CyberLeninka, and 86 publications devoted to the surgical treatment of patients with fingertip defects were selected. This problem and its treatment require wider coverage and introduction into domestic healthcare.