Premium
Pedicled mandible myo‐osseous flaps combined with free skin flaps for reconstruction of complex lateral mandibular defects
Author(s) -
Chen YenChou,
Valerio Ian L.,
Chien ChihYen,
Jeng SengFeng
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.21740
Subject(s) - medicine , mandible (arthropod mouthpart) , head and neck , free flap , surgery , anatomy , dentistry , botany , biology , genus
Background This study presents an alternative in reconstruction, using free skin flaps in combination with pedicled mandible bone flaps for complex lateral mandibular defects. Methods In all, 13 patients were included in this prospective study. Pedicled mandible myo‐osseous flaps were used for reconstruction of bone defects of the lateral mandible in combination with free skin flaps, including radial forearm flaps ( n = 3), anterolateral thigh (ALT) flaps ( n = 9), and local tongue flap ( n = 1). Postoperatively, a 99m Tc‐methyl diphosphonate bone scan was performed to assess bone flap viability. Results All patients had acceptably contoured mandibles. The major complications consisted of 1 failed ALT flap and 2 nonviable bone flaps. The bone scan confirmed viable bone flaps in 11 cases. Ten patients (77%) were able to resume soft to full diets. Conclusions For complex lateral mandibular defects (≤6 cm), a combination of the pedicled mandible myo‐osseous flaps and free skin flaps is an alternative in reconstruction. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2012