MICROVASCULAR OSTEOCUTANEOUS FLAPS IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF WAR INJURIES OF THE MANDIBULA

The paper aims to present the results of microvascular reconstruction of mandibular defects caused by war in former Yugoslavia. We retrospectively analyzed 45 patients with microvascular reconstruction of massive mandibular bone and soft tissue defects during the civil war in Yugoslavia. The defects were reconstructed with 14 scapular, 11 radial forearm, and 20 fibular osteocutaneous flaps. The patients were monitored for three months up to 12 years. The wounds were infected in 8.8% of the patients and bone necrosis occurred in 4.4 %. There was partial bone necrosis in 2.2% of the patients, and nonunion in 4.4%. The patients were hospitalized for 16 to 73 days. The results were considered successful in 96.8 % of the patients.Microvascular free flap is a versatile method for the reconstruction of massive mandibular bone and soft tissue defects caused by war.