Objective To summary the clinical application of free fibular composite flaps in repair of mandibular defect. Methods Fiftyeight cases of mandibular reconstruction using free fibular flaps, from June 1999 to November 2000, were reviewed, among which there were 37 cases of male and 21 cases of female, aged from 12 to 65 years old. All of the relevant data of the operation, such as the cause of the defect, design of the flaps, the blood vessels of the recipientand the complications, were included and analyzed. Results The fibular flap was 10.9 cm (4-21 cm) averagely in length and was harvested for 2.1 times (1-4 times); the average size of the skin paddle was 5.88 cm×3.13 cm. Of 58 flaps, therewere 56 survived; the overall complication rate was 24.1%.Conclusion It’s safe and reliable to use free fibular flap to reconstruct the mandibular defect.
The discrete choice experiment (DCE) is a stated preference analysis method used to evaluate the impact of multiple factors on individual choice, which has been explored by scholars around the world for health utility measurement. This method is considered to reduce the cognitive burden of traditional utility measurement methods and has high development potential. By examining empirical studies conducted domestically and internationally that employ DCE for measuring health utility, and drawing on methodological guidelines for constructing DCE models, this paper provides an overview of the methodological background of DCE, the practical process used for measuring health utility, and discusses relevant challenges in its application.
The multi-attribute utility function (MAUF) is a commonly used method for measuring health utility, characterized by a solid theoretical foundation and operational feasibility. It contributes to reducing the cognitive burden on respondents, caters to the measurement of utility across multiple dimensions, and represents another most widely applied approach beyond traditional econometrics, warranting exploration and application. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive and systematic research on this method in China, with insufficient practical application experience. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to systematically explore the methodological background of MAUF and the key points of research design for measuring health utility using this method. By drawing on the utility measurement experiences from internationally developed measurement scales such as HUI 1, HUI 2, HUI 3, 15D, AQol-8D, ASUI, HUG-5, TOOL, and ALSUI, it systematically analyzes the critical steps in the practical implementation of the method. It is hoped that this work will comprehensively and clearly elaborate on the practical approaches of MAUF, promote the further development of MAUF in China, and provide methodological references for future studies on health utility measurement based on MAUF.