Optimized reconstruction of oral and maxillofacial defects with common soft-tissue free flaps

Severe tissue defects in the oral and maxillofacial region are commonly caused by tumor resection and trauma and can impair physiological function and aesthetics in patients. Applying a soft-tissue free flap transfer may avoid exposing important blood vessels and nerves and restore basic anatomical structures and facial features. However, the outcomes of soft-tissue free flap transfer have tended to be unsatisfactory because of the exquisite anatomical structure and complicated functions of the oral and maxillofacial region. Therefore, it is clinically important to choose a proper reconstructive method based on specific tissue defects and to optimize the processes involved in the designing and harvesting of soft-tissue free flaps. In this review, we summarize the application of soft-tissue free flaps in oral and maxillofacial defects and strategies for optimizing the quality of tissue reconstruction.