Functional and cosmetic outcome after closure of radial forearm free flap donor defect with porcine collagen membrane

Abstract

Introduction: Disadvantages of the radial forearm free flap (RFFF) are related to the forearm donor site, which requires skin grafting for closure. Due to that matter, an alternative technique using porcine collagen membrane instead of skin grafting was considered and evaluated for its efficacy of donor defect closure. Material and methods: Ten patients requiring reconstruction of oral & maxillofacial defect underwent the single-staged reconstruction with the RFFF. The flap was elevated and the porcine collagen membrane (Rapiderm (R)) was fixed at the donor site with tie-over dressing. After leaving it for at least 2 weeks, it was replaced with an iodine-coated furazine gauze for continuous healing. Results: The patients did not develop any tendon exposure or infection. All forearms healed within 1 month. The mean graft size harvested was 27.75 +/- 3.08 cm(2). A greater amount of granulation tissue was formed under the dressing gauze which resulted in a less conspicuous donor site. After 6 months the average scar dimension was 9.48 +/- 1.07 cm. Appearance was excellent with good wrist motility and skin color. Conclusion: The use of the porcine collagen membrane in the donor site of the RFFF is an alternative approach with less morbidity compared to other techniques. Nevertheless, further studies with a larger number of patients are needed to validate the present findings.