title: Morphologic study of mandibles in Japanese patients for mandibular reconstruction with fibula free flaps.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In mandibular reconstruction with a fibula flap, 3-dimensional models are sometimes used but are not available to all plastic surgeons. To establish a simpler method, we performed a morphologic study of the mandible.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-dimensional images of the mandible from 79 Japanese patients were analyzed. Four theoretical osteotomy points were placed on each image and the lengths of each segment and the angles between every 2 segments were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SDs of the angle formed by the right and left canines and the left mandibular angle; the angle formed by the left canine, the left mandibular angle, and the left condyle; and the segment between the canines were so small that these values would easily be exceeded by manipulation errors during an osteotomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mandibular bones show a close similarity among Japanese patients. Acceptably accurate osteotomies can thus be performed in Japanese patients without requiring accurate templates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Saitama Medical School, Saitama, Japan. sunaot@saitama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Sunao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakuraba
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Shimpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimata
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakatsuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005360:Fibula / Q000601:surgery / Q000637:transplantation*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome