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.
Objective To evaluate the bone regenerative potential of reconbinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2(rhBMP-2) / collagen on adult rat calvarial bone. Methods A tight subperiosteal pocket was produced under both sides ofthe temporal muscle in rats. rhBMP-2 / collagen was implanted in one side and collagen alone was implanted in the other side as control. The rats were sacrificed 2, 4 and 8 weeks after operation. The specimen was harvested and examined histologically. For morphometric analysis, the thickness of the temporal bone of both sides was measured and compared. Results The rhBMP-2 / collagen onlay implant resulted in active bone formation and the augmented bone was connected directly with the original bone, whereas the collagen alone resulted in neither bone nor cartilage production. The ossification process in the rhBMP-2 / collagen occurred directly through bone formation, similar to intramembranous ossification. Conclusion rhBMP-2 / collagen is an effective material as a biological onlay implant.