Anchors for sutures to fix pedicled flaps to the floor of the mouth in reconstructions for cancer

We have already described the use of minisized Mitek® suture anchors (Depuy Mitek Surgical Products, Inc. Raynham, Mass, USA) to fix free flaps in the reconstructions of oral and oropharyngeal defects after resections for cancer.1,2 The anchors are available in different sizes: micro, mini, GII, and super. The minisized ones require that a hole 1cm deep be placed in the recipient bone, but the thickness and quality of the bone may be insufficient to fulfill this requirement. Recently, we tested the microsized anchors for fixing regional pedicled flaps, which are typically used in the reconstruction of the floor of the mouth when the tumour has spared both the mylohyoid muscle and the mandible, and when harvesting nasolabial,3 intraoral facial artery musculomucosal,4 or submental flaps.

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