Maxillary post-traumatic outcome correction. Literature review and personal experience. Part III: loss of maxillary substance (free flaps-distraction osteogenesis).
Revascularised free flaps retain dual vascularisation, both periosteal and medullary, undoubtedly present optimal survival and minimal re-absorption in view of the prevalence of osteogenetic rather than osteoclastic phenomena. A revascularised free bone flap involves the transfer of a certain amount of bone tissue, whether or not associated with a muscular, skin and/or facial component, with the features of an axial flap, dissecting the vascular stalk of the donor site and re-anastomosing both the arterial and the venous components on to recipient vessels in the site of the primary defect. The vessels in question measure only about 2-4 mm, so that micro-surgery techniques must be applied. For bone defects less than 6 cm, with upkeep of the mandibular or maxillary cortical bone and preservation of the soft tissues, with residual bone of at least 8 mm in height and 4 mm in thickness, alveolar distraction may represent a valid alternative to bone grafts, at the same time as ensuring an increase of the alveolar bone and intraoral soft tissues involved in the distraction process.
Section of Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Dentistry, Department of Morphological-Biomedical Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
A
A
D'Agostino
G
G
Toffanetti
L
L
Trevisiol
F
F
Ferrari
M
M
Furlani
M
M
Albanese
D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D010012:Osteogenesis; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps