Vestibuloplasty With Retroauricular Skin Grafts For Dental Implant Rehabilitation In Vascularized Fibula Grafts: Two Case Reports
June 2017
in “
International Journal of Periodontics & Restorative Dentistry
”
Studysummary This study found that using retroauricular full-thickness skin grafts in vestibuloplasty contributed to successful cosmetic and functional outcomes in dental implant rehabilitation for patients with mandibular gunshot injuries. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The document from 2017 reported on two case studies where patients with mandibular defects from gunshot injuries underwent vestibuloplasty using retroauricular full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs) for dental implant rehabilitation. The grafts, harvested from the retroauricular area, were used to address inadequate sulcus gaps and soft tissue deficiencies. Both patients experienced complete graft survival and satisfactory cosmetic and functional outcomes. The study highlighted the effectiveness of retroauricular FTSGs in managing intraoral soft tissue deficiencies, emphasizing their minimal shrinkage, resistance to trauma, and suitability for reconstructing small oral mucosal defects. Despite advancements in tissue engineering, the authors concluded that such grafts remain essential in reconstructive surgery due to their resilience, elasticity, and thin, hairless characteristics.
