Current advances in reconstruction of the mandible in head and neck cancer surgery

Today's reconstruction of head and neck cancer related deformities is based on an in-depth knowledge of soft and hard tissue repair coupled with the technical ability to transplant and reorient soft and hard tissues into a functional and cosmetic improvement for each patient. The recent advances of (1) the science of bone regeneration, (2) myocutaneous flaps, (3) hyperbaric oxygen, and (4) allogeneic bone cribs have resulted in reconstructions which are now predictable outcomes with few complications and minimal morbidity. This writing will discuss the contribution and mechanism of each of these four advances and how their application can be used to consistently reconstruct even large deformities with both hard and soft tissue loss, as well as in tissues which have been severely radiated.