title: Rigid reconstruction plates for immediate reconstruction following mandibular resection for malignant tumors.
abstract: Thirty-four primary alloplastic reconstructions of segmental mandibular defects caused by surgery for oral malignancy were performed during a 6-year period. Eighty-eight percent of the tumors were classified as stage III or IV. One third of the patients died during follow-up, nine with their primary reconstruction plate in place. During the follow-up, 12 patients required plate removal because of complications; four of them were treated with another plate. Nineteen of 21 patients alive at the end of follow-up were free of disease. Ten had their primary plate in place, and four had had a secondary plate installed because of plate fracture or screw loosening. Three patients had their mandible permanently reconstructed with bone. The functional and esthetic results were considered excellent or fair in a majority of the cases. Because the 5-year survival rate for patients with advanced mandibular malignancies is 15% to 20%, extensive, definitive reconstructive procedures during primary surgery are usually not justified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindqvist
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Söderholm
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paatsama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001860:Bone Plates; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D008341:Mandibular Prosthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010954:Plasmacytoma / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome