Postoperative morphological changes over time of vascularized scapular bone used for mandibular reconstruction: A retrospective cohort study

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Postoperative morphological changes over time of vascularized scapular bone used for mandibular reconstruction: A retrospective cohort study Via Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Mar 10:S1748-6815(21)00085-1. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.02.009. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Currently, sequential morphological changes of vascularized scapular bone for mandibular reconstruction have remained unreported. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 18 patients with defects on the lateral segment of the mandible who underwent postoperative computed tomography (CT) scanning at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Using the cross-sectional coronal CT images during each assessment, we measured the height and thickness of the grafted scapular bone at points 10 and 30 mm away from the mesial segment and evaluated their differences over time. Then, the relationship between the morphological changes of the grafted scapular bone and the distance from the mesial bone segment, the number of occlusal supports on the contralateral side of the mandible, and the correlation of sex and age were evaluated. RESULTS: The height of the grafted scapular bone decreased by approximately 11% and its thickness increased by 14% within 24 months postoperatively. The bone thickness increase was greater at point 30 mm from the mesial bone segment. Patients with two occlusal contacts (premolar and molar) on the contralateral side had a significantly higher rate of bone thickness increase. Furthermore, the graft morphology was not associated with age or sex. CONCLUSION: A vascularized scapular bone thickens over time, which depends on the distance from the mesial bone segment and the occlusal contact regions on the contralateral side of the mandible. PMID:33785268 | DOI:10.1016/j.bjps.2021.02.009 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.