PALATAL MUCOPERIOSTEAL FREE GRAFT - ANOTHER RECONSTRUCTION OPTION FORORAL DEFECTS

Traditional methods of repair for medium-size (3-5 cm) oral defects in clude allowing granulation, primary closure, skin grafts, and buccal m ucosal grafts. Each of these methods has several disadvantages, and al l tend to result in significant scar contracture and often lack suffic ient bulk. In 10 patients, the defect left by resection of cancer lesi ons was reconstructed with a free palatal mucoperiosteal graft. In all patients, the grafts survived with little contracture, allowing for a dequate tongue mobility. Because of the thickness of the palatal mucop eriosteum, local depressions typically associated with floor of the mo uth defects could be avoided. The palatal donor site was left to granu late and recovered in 2-3 weeks with little residual deformity. In 4 p atients a through-and-through resection of a floor of the mouth cancer was performed in continuity with a neck dissection. A palatal mucoper iosteal free graft was utilized exclusively in the reconstruction, wit hout the development of salivary fistula.