Radial forearm flap in maxillo-facial surgery.

Thirty consecutive patients treated with a free radial forearm flap are reviewed. The flap was used in the reconstruction of intraoral defect in 24 patients and of extraoral defect in 6 patients. There were no total or partial flap failures. Donor site complication included a partial loss of skin graft in 4 and radial fracture occurred in 1 patient. The authors considered the application of the radial forearm flap a reliable method for resurfacing large skin defects of the face. However, according to their conviction the most important field of the forearm flap is its use in intraoral reconstruction after pull-through operation. Attention is drawn to the limitation of the use of osteocutaneous flap in the replacement of segmental mandibular defect.