抄録
Althogh a considerable number of flaps for reconstruction of the oral mucosa have been reported, each of these methods is associated with disadvantages such as loss of the sensations of touch. temperature, pain, and taste, the accumulation of food, a sensation of wearing dentures, loss of the sensations of mastication, and a strange feeling in the mouth. To overcome these problems, we developed a vascularized, innervated foream flap, which is elevated without removing the ramus communicans between the radial artery and vein and the vessels that nourish the lateral cutaneous nerves. We performed reconstruction of the tongue, gingiva, and mouth floor using vascularized innervated forearm flaps (three cases) and nonvascularized innervated forearm flaps (three cases).
At 6 months postoperatively, sensation recovered slightly in one of three nonvascularized innervated forearm flaps, whereas the sensations of touch, pain and temperature recovered in all three vascularized innervated forearm flaps at 2 months postoperatively.
