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Lateral Skull Base Defect Repair with Radial Forearm-Free Flap

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Matrix Head and Neck Reconstruction

Abstract

Lateral skull base (LSB) defects have a variety of etiologies with the most common being malignancy of the regional area, followed by osteoradionecrosis, osteomyelitis, trauma, and other various insults. Malignancy of this anatomical area has an insidious course with late-presenting features. As a result, surgical interventions usually require wide resection margins and sometimes exposure of vital structures like neurovascular anatomy, dura, and brain parenchyma. Such invasive possibilities can make primary closure difficult, and radiotherapy following tumor-reducing procedures makes local flaps poor reconstruction candidates. This points to the shift from local flap utilization to contemporary free transfer solutions.

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Correspondence to Maurico A. Moreno .

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Winn, K.M., Moreno, M.A. (2023). Lateral Skull Base Defect Repair with Radial Forearm-Free Flap. In: Stack Jr., B.C., Moreno, M.A., Boyette, J.R., Vural, E.A. (eds) Matrix Head and Neck Reconstruction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24981-5_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24981-5_33

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-24980-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-24981-5

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