The Development and Management of Neck Burn Scar Contracture Recurrence: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

    April 2024 in “ Journal of burn care & research ”
    Jorge Arellano, Tiffany Jeong, Mario Alessandri‐Bonetti, Sumaarg Pandya, Hilary Liu, Guy M. Stofman, Francesco M. Egro
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    TLDR Neck burn scar contracture recurrence is more likely with larger neck defects, and closer follow-up can help detect it sooner.
    This retrospective cohort study at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reviewed the long-term outcomes of neck burn scar contracture (BSC) treatments in 51 patients treated between April 2009 and December 2022. The study found that 39.2% (20 patients) developed neck BSC after initial burn treatment, with an average of 3.4 surgeries per patient. Contracture recurrence (CR) occurred in 28.9% of cases, and a significant difference was noted in the average neck defect size between patients with CR (198.5±108.3 cm²) and those without (81.1±75.1 cm²). Total body surface area (TBSA) was not associated with CR, indicating that neck defect size is a more critical factor. The study suggests that closer post-operative follow-up may reduce the time to clinical presentation of CR.
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