Surgical Treatment of Heterotopic Ossification of the Bilateral Shoulder and Elbow Joints Caused by Burn Injury

Abstract

Case: A 27-year-old man sustained chemical burns affecting 54% of his body caused by steam and acetic acid at a dyeing factory. He developed restricted bilateral elbow and shoulder motion because of heterotopic ossification (HO) beginning 3 months after the incident. The skin healed within 1 year, but ankylosis developed because of progressing ossification. We performed HO surgical excision in 4 stages. Two years after the final surgery, the function of both upper extremities had recovered. Conclusion: For HO caused by severe burns, improvement in upper extremity function can be achieved even if surgery is performed after skin healing.