Hand transplantation

Transplanting a limb has been a dream of humanity - until 1998 when an international team of surgeons gathered in Lyon, France, and performed the first hand transplantation in history. Since then, groups in the United States, China, Austria, Italy and Belgium have launched hand transplantation programmes. In 2002, the International Registry on Hand and Composite Tissue Transplantation (IRHCTT) was created with the purpose of collecting and analysing data from every centre. This book presents the global experimental and clinical experience on hand transplantation and all types of other composite tissue allografts so far performed. A complete review of all aspects of these innovative and ground-breaking procedures is clearly presented in 15 different sections. They include the experimental basis of hand transplantation, strategies for selecting ideal candidates and preparing successful hand transplantation programmes, surgical techniques, most effective immunosuppressive drug regimes, analysis of the unique immunological behaviour of these transplants and rehabilitation protocols to achieve optimal sensory and motor recovery. Each section is dedicated to a special issue, such as psychological and medicolegal implications, brain remodelling after hand transplantation and introduction of a new scoring system for overall comprehensive outcome evaluation. A complete list of composite tissues allografts currently carried out around the world is reported in detail, including the face, abdominal wall, uterus, larynx and knee joint. A selection of videos highlights functional outcome of the transplanted hands in the daily activities and professional lives of these patients. This book is a milestone in the medical literature and represents a great asset for every scientific library.