Closure of an open high below-knee guillotine amputation wound using a skin-stretching device.

A skin-stretching device (SSD) which is designed to harness the viscoelastic properties of the skin using incremental traction is described. It has proved to be of value in securing closure, within 72 h, of an open high below-knee guillotine stump wound which did not heal during a period of 2 months after amputation. The skin-stretching device provided healthy, durable and sensate skin for stump coverage. Hospitalization time was shortened and an early post-surgical prosthetic fitting and ambulation was achieved.