The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 61, Issue 4 562-565, Copyright © 1979 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Annular constricting bands
JM Moses, AE Flatt and RR Cooper
We reviewed forty-five patients with congenital constriction bands with an
average follow-up of 15.8 years. The family history and associated
anomalies were recorded and particular attention was paid to temperature
gradients and neurocirculatory deficits with respect to band location. No
family history of band constrictions was elicited. Most of our patients
were products of first pregnancies and of young mothers. Deformity of the
nails was a constant finding in patients with distally located bands. All
patients demonstrated at least one other anomaly, most commonly a
malformation of the hand. Neural deficits were noted in 23 per cent of the
patients, while circulatory findings appeared in 16 per cent. A significant
temperature gradient averaging 2.38 degrees Celsius was noted in twenty
patients in whom the bands were located proximally. All patients with
neural deficits demonstrated a significant temperature gradient. Staged
z-plasty was the procedure of choice in surgical release of constriction
bands.