Aesthetic and Functional Innovations in Jaw Reconstruction with Free Fibula Flap

Jawbone reconstruction is one of the most challenging procedures and has evolved dramatically over the past 50 years, due to numerous advances in microsurgery techniques and instrumentation. Defects in the mandible can result from benign and malignant tumours, trauma and bone atrophy and are classified according to its location [27] and amount and quality of tissues involved [9, 42]. Defects involving the mandible and adjacent structures represent a reconstructive challenge, and functional and aesthetic results are correlated most closely with the degree of soft tissue loss. In fact, combined mucosal and skin defects have worse outcomes compared to oral cavity soft tissues or bone losses alone [24].