Our Experience with the Use of Joshi External Stabilization System (JESS) in the Management of Post-Burn Contractures of the Hand

Contractures are frequently seen complication of flame as well as electric burns. Once contracture develops it is seldom manageable non-operatively. A variety of options are available for the management of post-burn contractures including Z-plasty, skin grafts, local flaps, regional flaps, distant flaps, free flaps, and cross-limb flaps. Immobilization in the post-operative period followed by physiotherapy and splintage is essential for function recovery. The Joshi External Stabilization System is a fixation system consisting of K wires, distractors and connecting rods. Here we present a series of thirty cases of post-burn contractures with release and split skin grafts followed by application of a JESS fixator.