Transfer of a Toe to the Hand after scuba diving accident

Figure 1 A 38-year-old woman’s left thumb was amputated by a boat propeller while she was scuba diving, and it was not retrieved. Panel A shows her left hand three weeks after the accident.

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Four months after the accident skin from the groin was attached to the thumb stump and web area, and three months later a toe was transferred microsurgically. Panel B, Panel C, and Panel D show the result five years after the reconstructive surgery. By that time the new thumb had adequate sensibility (two-point discrimination of 15 mm) and 50 percent of the adduction power of the thumb on her other hand. She had adequate range of motion at the left metatarsophalangeal joint and interphalangeal joint and full extension of the thumb. Despite the loss of her toe, she was able to walk without difficulty.