The microvascular corticocancellous femur flap for reconstruction of the anterior maxilla in adult cleft lip, palate, and alveolus patients.

OBJECTIVE: Free nonvascularized alveolar bone grafting in severe defects of the cleft region often results in poor implant bed conditions. Here an alternative augmentation technique using a new technique of vascularized bone transfer is described.
DESIGN: In five patients with clefts of the lip, palate, and alveolus (four unilateral, one bilateral) there was a severe defect of the anterior maxillary alveolar ridge after tooth loss. The patients previously had augmentative surgery one to three times without success. The defect was covered using a microvascular corticocancellous transplant from the medial distal femur. The defects to be corrected measured 2.5 to 4.0 cm long, 1.0 to 1.5 cm wide, and 1 to 1.5 cm high. The microvascular pedicle of the femur bone flap was 3 to 7 cm long. The descending genicular artery was anastomosed to the facial or labial superior artery and the accompanying veins accordingly. In every case, the anastomoses were performed via an intraoral transmucosal approach.
RESULTS: There were no serious complications and no flap loss. In all patients the defect was covered by a flap of the correct size and design. All patients were treated with dental implants (13 total) 6 months after successful reconstruction of the ridge. The implants were loaded 4 to 6 months after placement with fixed superstructures. There were good peri-implant conditions and no implant loss.
CONCLUSION: The microvascular osteoperiosteal femur flap can be used successfully in individual reconstruction of segmental defects of the alveolar ridge in adult cleft patients.