Osteoradionecrosis with combined mandibulotomy and marginal mandibulectomy

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the outcome of simultaneous anterior mandibulotomy and marginal mandibulectomy for patients with oral cavity cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical charts of seven patients who underwent simultaneous anterior mandibulotomy and marginal mandibulectomy for oral cavity cancer between July 1994 and June 2004 in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan were retrospectively reviewed. These seven patients had no prior radiation therapy nor clinical or radiographic evidence of mandible bone invasion. RESULTS: Seven patients, between 34 to 62 years of age, were followed up in the clinics from 4.5 to 39 months with an average of 19.4 months. Five (71%) patients developed mandible osteoradionecrosis. Among them, two patients underwent radical sequestrectomy followed by reconstruction with a free fibular osteoseptocutaneous flap or soft tissue flap, and the other three patients either received removal of the mandible fixation miniplate, limited sequestrectomy of the mandible, or conservative antibiotic treatment individually. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous anterior mandibulotomy and marginal mandibulectomy results in a high morbidity rate of avascular necrosis of the mandible and therefore should be avoided. To avoid a disastrous complication, segmental mandibulectomy and a composite free fibular osteoseptocutaneous flap reconstruction would be a preferred surgical alternative.