Skin Graft in Oral Cavity. Case Report

Alarcón Arratia Ana; Muñoz Repetto Maximiliano & Moreno Fluxá Begoña

Summary

Skin grafts consist in taking a segment of dermis and epidermis, achieving a complete separation of the donor site and vascular supply, and transferring them to a receptor site. There are two types of skin grafts: split-thickness and full-thickness. In the oral cavity, they are used in tongue reconstruction, oral mucosa reconstruction, floor of mouth reconstruction and in defects product of maxillectomies. We present a case of a 26-year-old male patient who presented sequelae of hard and soft tissues secondary to facial trauma. Clinical examination showed a compromised vestibule and loss of anterior mandibular teeth. Under general anesthesia, soft tissue management consisting of vestibuloplasty and a split-thickness skin graft was performed. The skin graft was taken from the forearm with a dermatome. The graft was then taken to the mouth with the dermis towards the wounded area of the recipient site, covering the inner face of the denuded lip and fixing it with sutures. An acrylic splint was installed in the area to keep the flaps and skin graft in position, fixing it with three 15 mm screws. We must consider all functional requirements of the oral cavity when planning a reconstruction. The split-thickness skin graft allows for good resistance, adequate mobility and less contraction due to scars. The patient evolves with definite improvement in labial function, the morphology of the oral vestibule and in its aesthetic.

KEY WORDS: skin graft, vestibuloplasty.

How to cite this article

ALARCÓN, A. A.; MUÑOZ, R. M. & MORENO, F. B. Skin graft in oral cavity. Case report. Int. J. Odontostomat., 12(4):401-406, 2018.