Reconstruction of individual digits.

The development of microvascular techniques has encouraged the hand surgeon to re-examine the principles of reconstructive surgery. The transfer of vascularized composite tissues, if technically well done, can obviate the need for time-consuming staged procedures. However, success in microvascular reconstruction comes not in the knowledge of anastomotic techniques but in the understanding of the physiology of wound healing, the mechanics of hand function, and the principles and goals of hand reconstruction.