Vascularized bone flaps in oromandibular reconstruction. A comparative anatomic study of bone stock from various donor sites to assess suitability for enosseous dental implants.

OBJECTIVE: To identify donor sites from which vascularized bone may be harvested capable of accepting osseointegrated implants of the minimum dimensions required to ensure long-term implant stability.

DESIGN: An anatomic study of the most commonly employed donor sites for vascularized bone in oromandibular reconstruction was conducted on 28 cadavers.

SETTING: Academic tertiary referral center.

PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-eight freshly embalmed, adult white cadavers (16 male, 12 female) were dissected.

INTERVENTION: The ipsilateral fibula, iliac crest, radius, and lateral border of the scapula were harvested and multiply sectioned at predetermined sites.

OUTCOME MEASURE: Implantability was determined for each section based on measurements of height, width, and cross-sectional area utilizing computer planimetry.

RESULTS: The iliac crest was the most consistently implantable donor site, followed by the scapula, fibula, and radius (83%, 78%, 67%, and 21% of sections from each donor site satisfying the criteria for implantability). Consistent regional differences in implantability were encountered at each donor site except the scapula.

CONCLUSIONS: Following ablation of oromandibular malignant neoplasms, restoration of stable retentive dentition is a prerequisite to a successful functional oral rehabilitation. This is best achieved with enosseous implants, capable of supporting a stable dental prosthesis, placed directly into vascularized bone flaps at the time of mandibular reconstruction. The implications of the results obtained in this study for gender, donor site selection, and orientation of the vascularized bone flap are discussed.