What happened?
A 71-year-old woman presented with a right-hand burn, swelling, wound contracture and restricted movement of the fourth and fifth fingers. She had undergone split skin grafting. The case discusses pain management and functional rehabilitation in an older adult after a significant hand burn.
Clinical findings
- Restricted movement of the fourth and fifth fingers and swelling were reported two months after the burn.
- The patient had wound contracture and had undergone split skin grafting.
- Pain was initially rated 10/10 on the visual analogue scale.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- The report describes cryotherapy, splinting and active range-of-motion exercises as part of the physiotherapy approach.
- Rehabilitation planning considered pain, hand movement, scar-related concerns and functional ability.
Reported outcomes
- The reported pain score reduced from 10/10 to 8/10 after the described interventions.
- The authors also describe improvement in scar formation and functional ability; interpret these findings in the context of the single case.
Clinical lessons to consider
- After grafting, coordinate rehabilitation with wound and surgical guidance and protect the graft while restoring movement.
- Monitor scar, edema, pain and hand function—not pain alone.
- Splinting and movement programmes must be individualized to tissue healing and contracture risk.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- Single case report with limited generalizability.
- The reported pain reduction is modest; the case does not establish the comparative effectiveness of cryotherapy, splinting or exercise.
Original source
Mayuri R. Zoting, Mansi Subhedar, Subrat N. Samal. “A Holistic Approach to Burn Rehabilitation Managed With Split Skin Grafting in an Elderly Woman: A Case Report.” Cureus, 2024. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.66246
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.