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Updated: Mar 2, 2026
An Experimental Human DIEP Flap Model to Investigate Preservation Strategies for Vascularized Composite Allografts and Free Flaps
Published on: December 5, 2025
Influence of preoperative imaging on fibula free flap harvesting
R Gryseleyn1, M Schlund1, P Pigache1
1Service de stomatologie et chirurgie maxillo-faciale, université Lille 2, hôpital Roger-Salengro, CHU Lille, 59000 Lille, France.
Introduction:
The fibula free flap (FFF) is the gold standard for the reconstruction of large maxillofacial defects. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) seems to supersede digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference in preoperative evaluation, being non-invasive and having equivalent diagnostic results. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of preoperative MRA versus DSA on the viability of FFF and its success rate.
Material And Methods:
A total of 216 patients, who underwent mandibular or maxillary FFF reconstruction from January 1995 to January 2011, were retrospectively included in the study. Of them, 101 patients underwent preoperative DSA and 115 underwent MRA. Recorded criteria were as follows: age, sex, tobacco consumption, defect etiology, preoperative vascular assessment, donor-site choice and flap failure. The DSA group was compared to the MRA group.
Results:
The harvested side was switched in 15.7% of cases with preoperative MRA versus 4% with DSA. Our success rate was higher (96.1%) with MRA than with DSA (88.1%) (P<0.05). More atherosclerotic patients (P=0.004) were diagnosed through MRA. MRA and DSA showed similar results in anatomical variation detection.
Conclusion:
MRA is less invasive and more effective in atherosclerosis detection than DSA. Therefore, donor-site switching was more frequent in the MRA group, which led to a better success rate. MRA should replace DSA as the reference in preoperative assessment.
