Toe-Thumb Transplant

Case Presentation

This patient sustained a traumatic amputation of his non-dominant left thumb while working on an oil field offshore rig as a roustabout. The amputated thumb was not amenable to a replantation due to mutilation of the thumb.

One year later, the patient’s only hope to return to his vocation as an oil field worker was a complete toe-to-thumb transplantation from his donor left foot. During a 12 hour microvascular procedure , a successful transplant was performed.

Following a 6 week period to allow bone healing, the patient started intense rehabilitation on his thumb and also gait training on his foot.

6 months after surgery the patient had regained better sensation in his thumb than he had when it was his toe. He had regained functional mobility and strength in his hand and returned to work in the oil field.