Ramón Sieira Gil1, Carles Martí Pagés2, Eloy García Díez3, Sara Llames4, Ada Ferrer Fuertes2, Jesús Lopez Vilagran5. 1. Staff Surgeon, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Clínic, Barcelona University, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: rsieira@clinic.ub.edu. 2. Staff Surgeon, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Clínic, Barcelona University, Barcelona, Spain. 3. Staff surgeon, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona University, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. 4. Attending physician, El Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras U714, Unidad de Cultivos Celulares e Ingeniería Tisular, Centro Comunitario de Sangre y Tejidos del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain. 5. Attending dentist, Clinica Vilagran, Private Dental Practice, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Many types of soft tissue grafts have been used for grafting or prelaminating bone flaps for intraoral lining reconstruction. The best results are achieved when prelaminating free flaps with mucosal grafts. We suggest a new approach to obtain keratinized mucosa over a fibula flap using full-thickness, engineered, autologous oral mucosa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report on a pilot study for grafting fibula flaps for mandibular and maxilla reconstruction with full-thickness tissue-engineered autologous oral mucosa. We describe 2 different techniques: prelaminating the fibula flap and second-stage grafting of the fibula after mandibular reconstruction. Preparation of the full-thickness tissue-engineered oral mucosa is also described. RESULTS: The clinical outcome of the tissue-engineered intraoral lining reconstruction and response after implant placement are reported. A peri-implant granulation tissue response was not observed when prelaminating the fibula, and little response was observed when intraoral grafting was performed. CONCLUSION: Tissue engineering represents an alternative method by which to obtain sufficient autologous tissue for reconstructing mucosal oral defects. The full-thickness engineered autologous oral mucosa offers definite advantages in terms of reconstruction planning, donor site morbidity, and quality of the intraoral soft tissue reconstruction, thereby restoring native tissue and avoiding peri-implant tissue complications.
PURPOSE: Many types of soft tissue grafts have been used for grafting or prelaminating bone flaps for intraoral lining reconstruction. The best results are achieved when prelaminating free flaps with mucosal grafts. We suggest a new approach to obtain keratinized mucosa over a fibula flap using full-thickness, engineered, autologous oral mucosa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report on a pilot study for grafting fibula flaps for mandibular and maxilla reconstruction with full-thickness tissue-engineered autologous oral mucosa. We describe 2 different techniques: prelaminating the fibula flap and second-stage grafting of the fibula after mandibular reconstruction. Preparation of the full-thickness tissue-engineered oral mucosa is also described. RESULTS: The clinical outcome of the tissue-engineered intraoral lining reconstruction and response after implant placement are reported. A peri-implant granulation tissue response was not observed when prelaminating the fibula, and little response was observed when intraoral grafting was performed. CONCLUSION: Tissue engineering represents an alternative method by which to obtain sufficient autologous tissue for reconstructing mucosal oral defects. The full-thickness engineered autologous oral mucosa offers definite advantages in terms of reconstruction planning, donor site morbidity, and quality of the intraoral soft tissue reconstruction, thereby restoring native tissue and avoiding peri-implant tissue complications.