Free Flap Surgery Viable Choice for Mandible Reconstruction

What are the current indications and demographics for the use of free-flap reconstruction of the jaws?

Background: Free vascularized bone grafts were initially used to repair compound leg defects. Since then, there has been an exponential increase in the application of vascularized free tissue transfer to facilitate reconstruction of post-ablative head and neck defects. Today, surgical technique advances allow for mandible resection and reconstruction with osseous free flaps for elective, nonmalignant, quality-of-life indications as well.

Study design: Retrospective chart review of 620 osseous free flaps on patients who underwent free-flap reconstruction of the jaws between December 1995 and December 2012 using vascularized bone-containing free tissue transfer.

Setting: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.

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