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Published on: December 5, 2025
Cleft palate fistula closure with a mucosal prelaminated lateral upper arm flap
Michael Krimmel1, Jürgen Hoffmann, Siegmar Reinert
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany. michael.krimmel@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Background:
Recurrent cleft palate fistula is a challenge for maxillofacial surgeons. In severe cases, microvascular tissue transfer is necessary to treat these patients successfully.
Methods:
A 23-year-old man with cleft lip and palate, previously treated elsewhere, presented with a 2-cm defect in the posterior hard palate. A tongue flap had already been performed. It was decided to close the persistent fistula with a lateral upper-arm flap. In a first-step operation, a free graft of buccal mucosa was fixed to the lateral upper arm subcutaneously and covered with an alloplastic sheet. After 11 weeks, the prelaminated flap was harvested and transferred to the palate.
Results:
Integration of the buccal mucosa to the upper arm was uneventful. On harvesting the flap, we found a smooth, thin, and continuous fasciomucosal flap with a mucosa surface of 4 x 4 cm. Healing of the microvascular flap in its recipient site was regular. The fistula was closed successfully.
Conclusions:
To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a lateral upper-arm flap prelaminated with autologous mucosa. By prelamination, it is possible to circumvent the disadvantage of extraoral skin within the oral cavity and to cover mucosal defects with mucosa, especially in elective procedures, such as cleft cases.
