Mandibular reconstruction with full thickness calvarial bone and temporal muscle flap

Abstract

Eleven patients underwent mandibular reconstruction with pedicled temporal muscle flaps combined with vascularised or free full thickness calvarial bone grafts. Six were primary and five secondary reconstructions. The indications were squamous cell carcinoma (n = 6), radio-osteonecrosis (n = 4), and gunshot wound (n = 1). Five patients also had endosseus implants, either simultaneously or delayed. The only major complications were necrosis of the whole calvarial bone (n = 1) and permanent facial nerve palsy (n = 1). The advantages of using full thickness calvarial bone are that it is thick enough to take an endosseous implant, morbidity is low, there is virtually no postoperative pain, the scar is invisible, and there is only one donor area for both hard and soft tissue. Transplantation of full thickness calvarial bone and temporal muscle is a viable alternative to an osseomyocutaneous microvascularised free flap for reconstruction of the mandible when the neck has been previously operated on or irradiated, and anastomosis may be critical.