In all areas of the body, but particularly in the hand, it is becoming more obvious that the termreconstructive surgeryis merely a relative one. Previously, most physicians considered the termreconstructive surgeryto be almost identical with secondary surgery of severely deformed parts, either congenital or acquired. The entire emphasis in the last 15 years has been to perform optimum surgery for maximum functional benefit at the earliest possible time, including, of course, surgery on the day that the deformity was acquired.