Clinical application of free thin anterolateral thigh flap in the reconstruction of intraoral defects

Abstract To assess the clinical features and therapeutic effect of free thin anterolateral thigh flap for the reconstruction of intraoral defects. The clinicopathologic data of 34 cases with oral carcinoma were obtained from Institute and Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing University Medical School, from December 2008 to December 2011. These 34 patients underwent the simultaneous tumor resection and intraoral defects reconstruction with free thin anterolateral thigh flaps. The defects were located at tongue, buccal, mouth floor, and so on. The subcutaneous fat thickness of the flap at the site of the perforator is usually measured by ultrasound before the operation. If the thickness of the subcutaneous fat at the site of the perforator exceeded 1.5 cm, the patient was excluded from the study. There were 16 male and 18 female patients. The mean age was 55.4 years. Among the 34 patients, 26 flaps with musculocutaneous perforators and 8 flaps with septo-cutaneous perforators were used. Partial flap necrosis occurred in 2 patients. The free thin anterolateral thigh flap is the ideal soft tissue flap for the intraoral defects reconstruction. Satisfactory functional results can he achieved at recipient area with minimal morbidity at the donor site area.