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Updated: Dec 29, 2025
Engineered Vascularized Muscle Flap
Published on: January 11, 2016
Double-Barrel Fibula Flap Versus Vascularized Iliac Crest Flap for Mandibular Reconstruction
Yao Yu1, Wen-Bo Zhang2, Xiao-Jing Liu3
1Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
Purpose:
The double-barrel fibula flap and vascularized iliac crest flap are both commonly used for mandibular reconstruction. The present study compared the usage and reconstruction outcomes of transplanted bone with these 2 methods.
Patients And Methods:
The data from 30 patients who had undergone mandibular osteotomy and reconstruction were retrospectively reviewed. Of the 30 patients, 20 received a vascularized iliac crest flap (group A) and 10 received a double-barrel fibula flap (group B). The following variables were compared between the 2 groups: volume of bone flap (VBF), volume of effective bone flap (VEBF; ie, overlap between the volume of the ideal mandible [VIM] and the VBF), usage of the bone flap (VEBF divided by the VBF), mandibular reconstruction rate (VEBF divided by the VIM), volume of needless bone flap (VNBF; ie, VBF minus VEBF; the VNBF included the volume of needless buccal bone flap [VNBBF] and the volume of needless lingual bone flap [VNLBF]), percentage of alveolar crest restoration (PACR; ie, effective bone flap width divided by ideal alveolar crest width), and height of the bone flap (HBF). The independent-samples t test and the χ2 test were used to compare the variables between the 2 groups. Statistical significance was at P ≤ .05.
Results:
Usage of the bone flap and the length of the mandibular defect were significantly greater in group B than in group A (P = .039 and P < .001, respectively). The VBF, VNBF, and VNLBF were significantly greater in group A than in group B (P < .001 for both). The mandibular reconstruction rate, VNBBF, PACR, HBF, and tooth implantation rate were comparable between the 2 groups.
Conclusions:
The double-barrel fibula flap can effectively restore the height of the alveolar crest, reconstruct longer mandibular defects, and provide a better buccal and lingual appearance compared with the vascularized iliac crest flap. Although the vascularized iliac crest flap can provide sufficient bone quantity, it must be contoured to the mandible.
