The Krukenberg operation: a modified technique avoiding skin grafts.

The Krukenberg operation involves surgical separation of the radius and ulna in a hand or forearm amputee. Thus the forearm is converted into two rays with good grasp and tactile sensation. Prerequisites for this surgery include an adequate forearm stump; indications include bilateral loss or congenital absence of the hands, loss of the hands in a blind person, or necessity for tactile sensation in an affected limb. Sixteen cases are described in which skin grafting was not required.