REPAIR OF AN UNTREATED CLEFT-PALATE IN AN ADULT USING A PREFABRICATEDRADIAL FOREARM FLAP

The untreated isolated cleft of the palate in an adult is rarely encou ntered today. It can also be difficult to close using conventional tec hniques because of the disparity between the extremely wide cleft and the paucity of available local tissues. One possible solution is a thi n radial forearm free flap. If used as a bilaminar flap prefabricated by placement of a skin graft on its fascial undersurface at an initial stage, both the requisite nasal lining and oral mucosa can simultaneo usly be introduced to close the palate. This maneuver may reduce the p otential for late flap contracture and avoids cumbersome methods for i mmobilizing a skin graft if this were attempted after flap transfer.