Efficacy of the Anterior Based Tongue Flap in Managing Large Alveolar Clefts | ||||
| Sinai International Scientific Journal | ||||
| Volume 2, Issue 1, July 2025, Page 115-128 PDF (972.21 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/sisj.2025.394049.1084 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Hussein Abdelmotelep khalil   1; Somaia Ghobar 2
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| 1Lecturer, oral and maxillofacial department, faculty of dentistry, Sinai university-kantara | ||||
| 2Lecturer at pediatric dentistry and public health, faculty of dentistry, Sinai University, Kantara - Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Large alveolus clefts are challenging due to soft tissue deficiency, especially after trans-palatal distractions. Healthy, abundant soft tissue is mandatory to close oronasal communication and, consequently, for the success of bone graft. The tongue flap provides enough tissue with high vascularity and proximity to the defect. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of using a tongue flap for closure of large alveolus clefts (more than 10 mm) in children aged 10–12 years. Patients and Method: The study included 28 patients with a unilateral large alveolus cleft. An anterior-based tongue flap was used to cover the defect. Three weeks after the first surgery, a second surgery to separate the flap was performed. Tissue acceptance, flap stability, soft tissue closure of the cleft, tongue and speech problems, and other complications were recorded. Results: Tissue acceptance, flap stability, and soft tissue closure were accepted without donorsite morbidity, with few patients complaining of difficulty in feeding and speech between the two surgeries. Conclusion: The anterior-based tongue flap is an effective option for addressing soft tissue deficiency in cases of large alveolar clefts with minimal or no observed donor site morbidity. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Tongue flap; wide alveolar cleft; local flap; alveolar cleft | ||||
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