Application of Fibula/Iliac Flap Surgical Techniques to Mandibular Defects

Abstract This study group consists of a total of 61 patients who underwent fibula flap and iliac flap surgeries to repair mandibular defects. The EORTC-QLQ-H&N and OHIP-14 have been adopted to investigate and compare the difference of patients’ QOL at 6 and 24 months after surgery. SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used to conduct statistical analysis on the base data of the two groups of patients. Independent sample t test was conducted for EORTC-QLQ-H&N and OHIP-14 scores at two time points in each group.The 61 cases of free flap all survived, with statistically significant difference in the location of the primary tumor between the two groups. The EORTC-QLQ-H&N showed that speech, diet, social contact, and teeth scored higher at 6 months after surgery, but decreased significantly at 24 months after surgery. The OHIP-14 showed that the functional limitation reduced significantly at 24 months after surgery, with statistical significance (p < 0.05) between the groups of iliac flap (19.16 ± 5.33) and fibula flap (33.77 ± 7.71). It is therefore recommended that patients with mandibular defects receive surgery utilizing the iliac flap, while those suffering from a larger range of defects or lesions involving the condyle and chin should receive corrective surgery utilizing the fibular flap.