Buccinator Musculomucosal Flap Research Articles

Addition of a Buccinator Musculomucosal Flap Improves Surgical Outcomes of Conventional two-Flap Palatoplasty: A Comparative Study.

The surgical outcomes of novel two-flap palatoplasty adding a buccinator musculomucosal flap were compared with those of conventional two-flap palatoplasty to clarify the effects of lengthening the nasal mucosa of the soft palate using a BMMF in cleft lip and palate or cleft palate cases. Retrospective, comparative study. Tertiary, cleft team. Non-syndromic patients undergoing primary cleft palate repair using two-flap palatoplasty with BMMF (BMMF group) or conventional two-flap palatoplasty (non-BMMF group). Palatoplasty between January 2012 and March 2020. Perceptual Japanese speech evaluation, rate of an indication for additional speech surgery (AS), rate of incidence of oronasal fistula (IF) including spontaneously closing fistula, and rate of occurrence of oronasal fistula (OF) present for more than 3 months. Of 92 analyzed patients, 70 received two-flap palatoplasty with BMMF and 22 received two-flap palatoplasty. In the BMMF and non-BMMF groups, the respective percentage of hypernasality (no, mild) was 91.4% and 77.2%, no nasal emission was 71.4% and 63.6%, velopharyngeal function (competent, borderline competent) was 83.7% and 77.4%, intelligibility (very good, good) was 93.7% and 86.4%, AS was 1.4% and 13.6%, IF was 7.1% and 36.4%, and OF was 1.4% and 9.1%. Significant improvements were observed for AS (p = 0.0412) and IF (p = 0.00195) in the BMMF group, with no recorded major adverse effects. Adding a BMMF on the nasal side of the soft palate to conventional two-flap palatoplasty significantly improved postoperative outcomes. This approach may therefore be a good option for cleft palate treatment.

Musculomucosal Flap: A Technique for Correction of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency by Palate Lengthening

ABSTRACTA small but significant percentage of patients have inadequate velopharyngeal closure, or secondary velopharyngeal incompetence, following primary palatoplasty. The use of the buccinator musculomucosal (MM) flap has been described for both primary palate repair with lengthening and secondary palate lengthening for the correction of insufficient velopharyngeal closure. The MM flap was first described in 1969 for the primary repair of a wide cleft palate by Mukherji, and it was Bozola et al in 1989 who first formally described it and gave first description of its anatomy. The first report on its use to lengthen the palate in secondary velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) was published by Hill et al in 1999. This case report presents a patient who had correction of secondary velopharyngeal incompetence using bilateral buccinator MM flaps used as a sandwich and also gives a brief review of the literature regarding its application in cases of secondary VPI.How to cite this articleDeshmukh MM, Deshpande G. Musculomucosal Flap: A Technique for Correction of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency by Palate Lengthening. J Contemp Dent 2017;7(3):174-177.

A Clinical Study of Various Buccinator Musculomucosal Flaps for Palatal Fistulae Closure After Cleft Palate Surgery

This retrospective study describes various buccinator musculomucosal flaps for the repair of palatal fistulae. Twenty-two palatal fistulae were repaired at our institution between 2002 and 2012 by buccinator musculomucosal flaps with superior-anterior or posterior pedicles. Seventeen patients were treated with posteriorly pedicled flaps, 7 of whom had lengthening of the soft palate and 10 of whom had simultaneously repaired severe lateral palatal scarring. Five patients with anterior or midpalatal fistulae were treated with superior-anteriorly pedicled flaps. All but 4 of the 22 patients had satisfactory results. Four patients had recurrent fistulae, 2 resulting from flap tip necrosis and 2 from wound dehiscence. Follow-up was from 5 to 72 months. None of the patients had facial nerve injury, limited mouth opening, or difficulty chewing. We evaluated the factors that could cause complications, such as flap pattern, location of fistula, and size of palate defect. No statistically significant differences were found in the complication rates among different groups. In conclusion, the buccinator musculomucosal flap is reliable and versatile, with rich vascularity and flexible design. The flap is a good option for fistula repair, especially for larger fistulae at the anterior portion of the hard palate or at the junction of hard and soft palate, where surrounding soft tissues are stiff, scarred, and difficult to mobilize.

Use of the Buccinator Musculomucosal Flap for Bone Coverage in Primary Cleft Palate Repair

Cleft palate is one of the most common congenital malformations in the maxillofacial region. After a cleft palate repair, surgeons must deal with the transverse growth restriction and palatal fistulas caused by scar tissue on the raw bone surface around the hard palate. This report describes the technique of the buccinator musculomucosal flap procedure performed together with repair of the cleft palate. The objective is to cover exposed bone areas of the hard palate to decrease scar contraction and subsequent transverse maxillary growth restriction, as well as tension at the closure. From August 2009 to February 2012, 15 patients underwent the buccinator musculomucosal flap procedure. First, the cleft palate was repaired by mucoperiosteal flaps, resulting in wide and raw bone surfaces around the hard palate. The outline of the flap was marked on the buccal mucosa. Grounding on the exposed bone areas around the hard palate, the authors designed widths of flaps ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 cm. These flaps were elevated from the buccopharyngeal fascia and turned 90° to cover the raw hard palate bone surfaces. The donor sites were closed by direct suture. The follow-up period was 1-26 months (average, 10 months). No complications were found in any patient who underwent the procedure, and no fistulas occurred in the midline of the palate. No patients experienced complications related to the donor sites. No trismus or other dysfunction related to mouth movement was observed. The buccinator musculomucosal flap is a convenient and safe flap procedure with fewer donor-site complications. This procedure also has significant potential for improving maxilla growth and reducing the secondary complications that often can result from cleft palate repair. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

A novel use of the facial artery based buccinator musculo-mucosal island flap for reconstruction of the oropharynx

The buccinator musculo-mucosal island or Zhao flap can be used to reconstruct a wide range of intra-oral defects including floor of mouth, tonsillar fossa and lateral tongue. We describe our experience with the inferiorly based facial artery buccinator musculo-mucosal flap for a novel use in the reconstruction of oropharyngeal tumours at the tongue base and lateral pharyngeal wall. We prospectively reviewed all patients who underwent buccinator musculo-mucosal island flap reconstruction examining indication, operative details, and post-operative outcomes. We describe our technique for its novel use in lateral pharynx/tongue base reconstruction through neck dissection access. Deeper flaps were adequately visualised and monitored using flexible nasoendoscopy. There were no flap failures with all patients achieving primary healing with minimal complications. All donor sites closed directly with minimal scarring. Two patients reported mild tightness on mouth opening and two patients reported transient weakness of the mandibular branch of the facial nerve. In our experience the buccinator musculo-mucosal island flap is an extremely versatile 'like for like' local flap option due to its long arc of rotation. As inset can be achieved via neck dissection access, this avoids lip/jaw split as per conventional oropharyngeal surgical management further minimising morbidity. We present the first series of its effective use in oropharyngeal reconstruction.

The Bozola flap in oral cavity reconstruction

The buccinator musculomucosal flaps are actually considered the main reconstructive option for small-moderate defects of the oral mucosa. In this paper we present our experience with the posteriorly based buccinator musculomucosal flap. A retrospective review was performed of all patients who had had a Bozola flap reconstruction at the Operative Unit of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of Parma, Italy, between 2003 and 2010. The Bozola flap was used in 19 patients. In most cases they had defects of the palate (n=12). All flaps were harvested successfully and no major complications occurred. Minor complications were observed in two cases. At the end of the follow up all patients returned to a normal diet without alterations of speech and swallowing. We consider the Bozola flap the first choice for the reconstruction of defects involving the palate, the cheek and the postero-lateral tongue and floor of the mouth.

Myomucosal cheek flaps: applications in intraoral reconstruction using three different techniques

Aim: The use of myomucosal flaps harvested from the cheek area for intraoral reconstruction has been recently popularized in the literature. Several surgical techniques have been reported and each study has described the outcomes and advantages of each method. This work examines the use of the three most important buccinator myomucosal flaps: the buccinator musculomucosal flap (Bozola flap), the facial artery musculomucosal flap (FAMM flap), and the buccinator musculomucosal island flap (Zhao flap).

Myomucosal cheek flaps: applications in intraoral reconstruction using three different techniques

The use of myomucosal flaps harvested from the cheek area for intraoral reconstruction has been recently popularized in the literature. Several surgical techniques have been reported, and each study has described the outcomes and advantages of each method. However, the literature lacks a summary of the various surgical techniques utilizing buccinator myomucosal flaps. This paper examines the use of the 3 most important buccinator myomucosal flaps: the buccinator musculomucosal flap, the facial artery musculomucosal flap, and the buccinator musculomucosal island flap. We clarify the applications of each technique in intraoral reconstruction and discuss the indications for, and advantages and disadvantages of, each flap. Forty-six patients who underwent surgical resection for malignancies of the oral cavity and reconstructions with cheek flaps were retrospectively studied. All flaps were harvested and transposed. Complete loss of the flap occurred in only 1 case. In 2 cases, marginal necrosis of the flap took place, with complete spontaneous healing in 2 weeks. Buccinator musculomucosal flaps are a good option for reconstruction of moderately sized oral cavity defects. A key point in this procedure is flap selection based on not only the size and site of the defect, but also the patient's characteristics and type of surgical procedure.

Buccinator myomucosal flap: clinical results and review of anatomy, surgical technique and applications

The buccinator musculomucosal flap is an axial-pattern flap based on either the buccal or the facial artery. We present our experience with this flap and describe its surgical anatomy, the surgical techniques utilised to raise the flap and its clinical applications. We retrospectively reviewed all patients who had had buccinator myomucosal flaps created at the Groote Schuur Hospital between 1999 and 2004. Patients were also recalled to assess flap sensation and to record reduction of mouth opening as a consequence of donor site scarring. Of the 14 patients who had had a buccinator myomucosal flap created, there was one flap failure. Sensation was present in 71 per cent of flaps, and there was no trismus due to donor site scarring. The buccinator myomycosal flap is a dependable flap with good functional outcome and low morbidity.

Buccinator sandwich pushback: a new technique for treatment of secondary velopharyngeal incompetence.

A small percentage of patients have inadequate velopharyngeal closure, or secondary velopharyngeal incompetence, following primary palatoplasty. Use of the buccinator musculomucosal flap has been described for primary palate repair with lengthening, but its use in secondary palate lengthening for the correction of insufficient velopharyngeal closure has not been described. This study presents the results of a series of patients who had correction of secondary velopharyngeal incompetence using bilateral buccinator musculomucosal flaps used as a sandwich. In this prospective study between 1995 and 1998, a group of 16 patients with insufficient velopharyngeal closure as determined by speech assessment and videoradiography were selected. Nasopharyngoscopy was carried out in addition in a number of cases. Case selection was a result of these investigations and clinical examination in which the major factor in velopharyngeal insufficiency was determined to be short palatal length. The patients underwent palate lengthening using bilateral buccinator musculomucosal flaps as a sandwich. All patients were assessed 6 months postoperatively. The operative technique, postoperative course, and recorded postoperative complications including partial/total flap necrosis and residual velopharyngeal insufficiency were evaluated. Preoperative and postoperative speech samples were rated by an independent speech therapist. Ninety-three percent (15 of 16) had a significant improvement in velopharyngeal insufficiency, and 14 patients had no hypernasality postoperatively. Both cases of persistent mild hypernasality had had a recognized postoperative complication. The sandwich pushback technique for the correction of persistent velopharyngeal incompetence was successful in achieving good speech results.

A technique for repair of the ‘unrepairable’ cleft palate

The ‘unrepairable’ cleft palate may be described as one in which the width of the cleft exceeds the sum of the widths of the palatal shelves. A report of such a case is presented, and the technique used to repair the cleft using bilateral buccinator musculomucosal flaps is described. It is offered as a suggested technique for the management of such cases in the future.