Titanium mesh and pedicled buccal fat pad for the reconstruction of maxillary defect: case report

BACKGROUND: Pedicled buccal fat pad (PBFP) has been used for the reconstruction of small-sized maxillary defects but cannot be used without hard tissue support on the defect larger than 4 cm × 4 cm × 3 cm. CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old man had a history of squamous cell carcinoma of the left maxilla. After removal of the posterior maxilla, a complex bone defect (size, 5 cm × 4 cm × 3 cm) was immediately reconstructed using PBFP combined with a titanium mesh. A pinpoint fistula was found in the left palatal region 1 month after the surgery and was treated with a palatal sliding flap. There were no further complications during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: The present technique demonstrated that PBFP combined with a titanium mesh could be used for the reconstruction of complex maxillary defect (size, 5 cm × 4 cm × 3 cm) without additional bone graft.