| Abstract | BACKGROUND: Face transplantation may become a viable alternative in the treatment of patients with severe acquired facial deformity. In this study, the authors investigate morphological compatibility between donor and recipient by assessing chimeric outcomes in a human cadaver model. METHODS: Four faces were harvested from fresh human cadaver specimens in a surgical plane deep to the galea, to the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, and to the platysma. The faces were subsequently exchanged among the four donor crania, simulating full-face transplantations. Eight cranium-face chimera complexes were created and analyzed with standardized photography and with volumetric computed tomographic radiography. RESULTS: Four morphological parameters to consider in determining donor/recipient compatibility were defined: (1) skin color and texture, (2) head size, (3) soft-tissue features, and (4) gender. CONCLUSION: Careful selection of face donors based on compatibility criteria will aid in ensuring that the posttransplant outcome is morphologically similar to the recipient's native face. |
| Authors | Alessio Baccarani, Keith E Follmar, Rajesh R Das, Srinivasan Mukundan, Jeffrey R Marcus, L Scott Levin, Detlev Erdmann
(Affiliation: Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.)
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| Journal | Plastic and reconstructive surgery
(Plast Reconstr Surg)
Vol. 119
Issue 1
Pg. 121-9
(Jan 2007)
ISSN: 1529-4242 United States |
| PMID | 17255665
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
|
| Topics |
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Cadaver
- Face
(surgery)
- Feasibility Studies
- Female
- Histocompatibility
- Humans
- Middle Aged
- Pilot Projects
- Tissue Donors
- Transplantation
(methods)
- Transplants
|
