2014 Volume 26 Issue 3 Pages 57-62
This article reports a new classification system and a practical theory in surgical reconstruction for segmental mandibular defects after oncological ablative surgery: the "CAT classification system" and the "CAT concept". The CAT classification system classifies a mandibular defect with three letters indicating reference points: "C" signifies loss of the condylar head of the mandible, "A" the mandibular angle and "T" the mental tubercle. For example, the defect is described as "A" when the mandibular angle is segmentally resected, as "CA" when the condylar head and the mandibular angle are resected, as "CAT" when the entire hemi-mandible is resected, as "ATT" when the angle and the bilateral mental tubercle are resected, as "body" when only the mandibular body is resected and the angle and the mental tubercle are preserved, and as "neck" when only the mandibular ramus is resected and the condylar head and the angle are preserved. The CAT concept is a theory that is necessary and sufficient to reconstruct three reference points of the CAT classification system ("C", "A" and "T") in order to reconstruct oncological segmental mandibular defects. Previous studies showed that the CAT system and CAT concept are highly practical and useful in the standardization of mandibular reconstructive surgery.
