Replacement of Mandible Defect by a Rib Autotransplant

Abstract

Aims. Improve the technique of bone plastics of the mandible with a free autogenous rib graft.Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of 41 case histories of patients undergoing surgical treatment in connection with the replacement of the mandibular defectsacquired due to tumors, injuries, osteomyelitis at the clinic of maxillofacial surgery in 2003-2018 was carried out. The technique of osteoplasty of the mandible with free autogenous rib graft has been improved by expanding the technical possibility of reliable fixation of bone fragments with titanium plates and screws, as well as tight installation of autograft in the bone defect and creating favorable conditions for the primary osseointegration. The own method of harvesting and formation of autogenous rib graft is proposed. For 15 years, not a single complication was identified and there was no rejection of the free autogenous rib grafts.Conclusions. This technique is simple, safe, and can be effectively used to reconstruct long-span mandibular defects with minimal complications in selected patients.