MANDIBULAR RECONSTRUCTION USING THE DOUBLE BARREL FIBULAR GRAFT

Five patients underwent mandibular reconstruction using the double bar rel fibular graft from 1989 to 1994, Bony defects ranged from 7 to 14 cm. In three patients, two skin flaps were taken with the fibular graf t for composite reconstruction. in order to overcome the main disadvan tage of the fibular graft, i,e., small circumference of the bone, a ha rvested fibula was osteotomized into several portions, folded into two parallel lengths, and fixed along the inferior border of the mandible and the alveolar ridge. The double barrel fibular graft provided more than 4-cm alveolar height without damaging bone viability. In Orienta ls, a fibula is approximately 1.5 cm thick, and using a single fibular strut for mandibular reconstruction may result in subsequent difficul ty in wearing conventional dentures or osseointegrated implants. All p atients acquired good mandibular contour and enough thickness of the a lveolar ridge, and could wear a conventional denture and eat a solid d iet, This procedure seems to be superior to the iliac bone graft for m ajor mandibular reconstruction because of its length, the possibility of three-dimensional composite reconstruction, increased bone thicknes s, and minimal donor-site morbidity. (C) 1995 Wiley Liss, Inc.