Management of Post Burn Contracture of Neck in a Tertiary Burn Care Centre

Abstract

Background: Post burn contracture is one of the most common problems in our country and usually seen in lower socio-economic people. Burn contractures of the neck can produce a signicant impact on quality of life by reducing a patient's ability to perform activities of daily living Methods: A prospective study was conducted with a sample size of 30 patients with post burn neck contracture conducted for a duration of 24 months. After meticulous surgical planning, patients underwent contracture release and split skin grafting/z-plasty followed by rigorous splintage and physiotherapy. Majority of the patients were in the age group of 11-30 years (63%).70% of the Results: patients sustained burns in the range of 21-40% and 80% were due to ame burns.46.66% (14) of patients had severe contracture while 13.33% (4) had extensive mento-sternal adhesions. 90% of the patients underwent release + SSG while 10% underwent z-plasty. Postoperatively cervico-mental angle of 100-120 degrees was achieved Skin grafting is a simple, reliable and safe operation however postoperative splinting is n Conclusion: ecessary. The use of skin grafts continues to deliver excellent results with adequate restoration of cervico-mental angle.

Functional and Aesthetic Outcome of Reconstructive Surgery for Contracted Neck Scars

“…After achieving adequate release, the resulting raw area should be treated with durable coverage. Reconstructive options range from usage of split thickness skin grafts, local recruitment of surrounding healthy tissues by Multiple Z-plasties, fasciocutaneous flaps [6].…”