Vertical mandibular bone augmentation by the osteodistraction of the transplanted fibula free flap: A case series with long-term follow-up.

Vertical augmentation of the mandible to prepare dental implant therapy is still a challenge, especially with large mandible defects. Reconstruction with fibula free flap is a regularly applied approach in such cases, but it does not always yield optimal results: the resulting crestal height might differ significantly from the crestal height of the patient's intact bone, which makes esthetic and functional rehabilitation difficult. Osteodistraction of the integrated flap is a known but rarely discussed approach where the already integrated flap undergoes additional distraction. Through the four cases reported here, we would like to demonstrate that the osteodistraction of the transplanted fibula free flap is a useful and efficient method of secondary augmentation for cases where the flap itself fails to produce the desired crestal height, and no other method is applicable. The cases show that the method allows outcomes that are highly satisfactory, both in the functional and esthetic sense.