Introduction:

The treatment of large mandibular tumors has anatomic and functional sequelae to the patient. Reconstruction of these defects is a challenge to the surgeon, whereas grafting is the first choice treatment in most cases, its application could be limited by conditions such as a communication with the oral environment. The present article intends to present the use of a methacrylate block as an interim device between resection and reconstruction in situations such as the above described.

Case Report:

An adult female affected by mandibular ameloblastoma is treated by surgical resection and kept with the aid of a methacrylate block in the resected area for 6 months, allowing closure of the communication between the lesion and the oral environment to be posteriorly treated with a free iliac crest graft.

Discussion:

Functional and esthetic implications of mandibular resection sequelae mandate a thorough reconstruction of the lasting defects. By the proposed procedure a better prognosis for the reconstruction is achieved when using a bone graft in the setting of a lesion communicated with the oral environment, allowing good morphological and functional results.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español     · Español ( pdf )