Reconstruction of a socket using a retroauricular temporal flap.

Area of Science:

• Plastic surgery
• Reconstructive surgery

Background:

• Continent socket reconstruction presents challenges, particularly with varying degrees of contracture.
• Skin grafting is a common method, but contractures can impede successful outcomes.

Observation:

• A retroauricular temporal flap was explored as a potential solution.
• The flap was utilized in both a two-stage and a one-stage transposition procedure.

Findings:

• The two-stage transposition of a retroauricular temporal flap proved successful in reconstructing the continent socket.
• The one-stage transposition of a retroauricular island flap, based on a temporal pedicle, resulted in partial failure.

Implications:

• The findings suggest that a staged approach may be more effective for continent socket reconstruction using this flap.
• Further research may explore modifications to the one-stage procedure to improve its success rate.