Upper Limb Replantation: Does the Patient Benefit?

Abstract

Although the operations to reattach amputated limbs are, without doubt, great technical achievements, it could be argued that the patient may be more handicapped, in some instances, with a replanted upper extremity than with an amputation. The literature reviewed in this article indicates that there is no guarantee that a replanted limb will have good functional recovery. However, the evidence is not conclusive that, in the majority of cases, amputation is preferable to replantation.