Influence of simultaneous innervated iliac bone flap on long-term quality of life after mandibular reconstruction

doi:10.19438/j.cjoms.2026.03.006

Abstract

Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate the differences in the long-term quality of life between patients undergoing mandibular reconstruction with simultaneous innervated iliac bone flap and those with traditional vascularized iliac bone flap. METHODS: A total of 24 adult patients who received mandibular reconstruction at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from May 2019 to January 2022 were enrolled and divided into an innervated group (IN group) and a non-innervated group (CO group) with 12 cases in each according to the surgical method. The IN group underwent free vascularized iliac bone flap transplantation combined with microanastomosis of the ilioinguinal nerve and the inferior alveolar nerve, while the CO group only received free vascularized iliac bone flap transplantation without nerve anastomosis. At 3 years postoperatively, the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL) was used to evaluate the patients' overall QoL, and a self-designed questionnaire related to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) was adopted to assess the QoL associated with sensory nerve recovery. RESULTS: A total of 48 valid questionnaires were retrieved. The results of the UW-QOL showed that the IN group had higher scores than the CO group in core functional items such as chewing and pronunciation. The items with the lowest scores in both groups were appearance and anxiety. The results of the self-developed IAN-related questionnaire indicated that the IN group had higher scores in sensory-related items than the CO group, and the total score of the 12 questions was also higher. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous innervated iliac bone flaps can effectively improve the long-term quality of life related to sensory nerve function in patients with mandibular defects. The nerve-bone collaborative reconstruction model provides the possibility for achieving long-term stability of the transplanted bone and the recovery of sensory function.

Key words: Quality of life, Nerve anastomosis, Iliac bone flap, Mandibular reconstruction, UW-QOL

CLC Number:

R782.2

Wang Jieyu, Zhang Yuhan, Shi Jingcun, Zhang Bingqing, Gu Liwei, Zhang Yinan, Wang Lei. Influence of simultaneous innervated iliac bone flap on long-term quality of life after mandibular reconstruction[J]. China Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2026, 24(3): 241-246.

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