clinical comparative study between submucosal connective tissue palatal flap and conventional pedicle palatal flap in closure of oroantral fistula

Abstract

Oroantral communication and subsequent formation of an oroantral fistula (OAF) is a common complication after dental extractions. OAF is an abnormal communication resulting most frequently from the extraction of the upper posterior teeth because of the close relation between the apex of those teeth and the floor of the maxillary sinus. It is well known that closure of oroantral fistula is not an easy problem, and the great number of possible operations manifested that difficulty. The different procedures were described could be divided into simple direct repair, flap operations and graft operations. The flaps operations either are buccal, palatal or combined.

The choice of each of these procedures is however influenced not only by the size and location of the defect but also by the amount and condition of the tissue available for repair.

In this study, ten cases of small or moderate size oroantral communication were closed successfully with two types of palatal flaps.The surgical procedures were done under general anaethesia, using cuffed endotracheal tube. The patients were put in the tonsillectomy position, with over-extension of the neck to bring the whole palate into view. In-group I five cases were treated with the full thickness mucoperiosteal pedicled palatal flap depending on the greater palatine artery for supply. The palatal