title: Ulnar forearm osteocutaneous flap harvesting using Kapandji procedure for pre-existing complicated fibular flap on mandible reconstruction--cadaveric and clinical study.
abstract: It is not uncommon that after using a fibular flap for lower gum cancer reconstruction, nonunion, chronic osteomyelitis, or fibular bone exposure occurs, which requires a composite bone and soft tissue reconstruction. Radial forearm osteocutaneous flap possesses the risk of stress fracture. Ulnar forearm osteocutaneous flap can be another option for small bone defect reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six patients who had undergone fibular flap for mandible reconstructions and sustained either bone exposure (3 patients), chronic osteomyelitis (1 patient), malocclusion (1 patient), or osteoradionecrosis (1 patient) underwent ulnar forearm osteocutaneous flap with 3-cm ulnar bone for touch-up procedure. The distal radioulnar joints were fused with a screw. Six ulnar forearm osteocutaneous flap dissections were also performed on 4 fresh frozen cadavers to clarify the anatomic distribution of the distal ulnar artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 6 ulnar forearm osteocutaneous flaps survived with one re-exploration for venous occlusion. All presented bone union. Comparable to the clinical dissection, the cadaveric distal ulnar artery demonstrates a periosteal branch that runs between the proper ulnar nerve and dorsal sensory nerve. This periosteal branch comes out of an ulnar artery approximately 3 cm proximal to the wrist joint.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ulnar forearm osteocutaneous flap can provide a secondary flap of wide skin paddle and small segment bone for specific mandibular defect after a fibular flap transfer.
authors.affiliation: From the *Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; †Head and Neck Surgery, ENT, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and University; ‡Plastic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore; and §Plastic Surgery, Tsu-Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chun-Ta
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Cheng-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Bien-Keem
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Chun-Ta
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002102:Cadaver; D005360:Fibula / Q000637:transplantation; D005542:Forearm / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D063175:Mandibular Reconstruction; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D014457:Ulna / Q000637:transplantation