1. Injuries to the fingers involving large gaps of soft-tissue and bone damage can be repaired by phalangeal recession, thus avoiding unnecessary amputation of the fingers.
2. The distal phalanx with its highly specialized sensation and stereognosis, its nail, and general cosmetic appearance can be salvaged.
3. The fundamental functions of the normal hand—prehemision, sensation , and expression—are better salvaged by phalangeal-recession surgery than by amputation.