Buccal fat pad as a sealant in palatal mucosa tearing: technical note

For patients with a dentofacial deformity undergoing a planned segmentation of the maxilla for the management of a transverse maxillary arch discrepancy, palatal mucosa tearing may occur during sawing or palatal expansion traction, giving rise to an oronasal communication. This technical note describes the covering of a tear in the palatal mucosa using a buccal fat pad (BFP) flap, in the context of maxillary segmentation during Le Fort I osteotomy. Through the limited buccal incision used for the Le Fort I osteotomy, a small incision is made in the right periosteum posteriorly, and a supraperiosteal dissection is performed to access the BFP.

Source: International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - September 5, 2022 Category: ENT & OMF Authors: F. Hern ández-Alfaro, D. Soriano-Martín, G. Molins-Ballabriga, A. Valls-Ontañón Tags: Technical Note Source Type: research