Nasolabial flap: Reconstruction in Oral Cancer —An Unfolding Fact of Survival

ConclusionModiolus (corner of mouth) which is a chiasma of 9 facial expression muscles, is supplied by muscular branches of facial artery and anastomosed by transverse facial artery and ipsilateral and contralateral superior labial artery. After facial artery ligation, these muscular branches of the chiasma of muscles are responsible for the survival of inferiorly oriented random-patterned NLF after MRND. This is because the muscular branches of the facial artery provide an alternate blood supply to the modiolus and its associated muscles. This helps to prevent necrosis or tissue death in the area.
Source: Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Source Type: research