Plate Exposure After Anterolateral Thigh Free-Flap Reconstruction in Head and Neck Cancer Patients With Composite Mandibular Defects

This study aimed to identify the risk factors for postoperative plate exposure in head and neck cancer patients with composite mandibular defects undergoing tumor ablation followed by bridging plate and anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap transfer. Between January 2007 and June 2012, 1,452 patients who underwent free tissue transfer after head and neck cancer ablation were retrospectively reviewed. Only ALT flap coverage with a bridging plate for...