BACKGROUND
The buccal fat pad (BFP) is actively used in surgical practice, primarily to eliminate defects in the maxillofacial region, including the oroantral communication, but the limitation of the use of the BFP is caused by the fear of practicing surgeons regarding a possible change in the face configuration during extrusion of the BFP and its processes.
OBJECTIVE
Aim of the study: to evaluate the change in the face configuration during the operation model of treatment the oroantral communication using the BFP.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
30 anatomical objects were selected. The objects were divided into groups according to gender (14 men and 16 women), age (elderly age (13 objects) and senile age (17 objects)), body mass index (underweight (10 objects), normal weight (12 objects), overweight (8 objects) and facial skeleton type (euryprosopic (11 objects), mesoprosopic (13 objects) and leptoprosopic (6 objects) types). Facial configuration parameters were assessed, determining the sum of three lengths before and after the simulated surgical intervention each stage of the BFP extrusion: from the mandible angle to the eye corner, from the tragus of the ear to the mouth commissure and from the tragus of the ear to the foremost point of the chin. The maximum BFP extrusion distance was also determined.
RESULTS
It was possible in all objects to carry out the BFP extrusion more than to the middle of the maxillary alveolar process without violating the integrity of the flap. There was no significant difference between the sums of lengths before surgery and after extrusion of the BFP to the canine area (p=0.486). There was also no significant difference in the maximum distance of the BFP extrusion within the groups by gender (p=0.116), age (p=0.448), body mass index (p=0.316; p=0.844; p=0.720) and facial skeleton type (p=0.307; p=0.375; p=0.189).
CONCLUSIONS
Regardless of gender, age, body mass index and facial skeleton type of the object, it is possible to carry out extrusion of the BFP to the middle of maxillary alveolar process. Experimental anatomical modeling has shown that extrusion of the BFP to the maxillary canine socket does not lead to statistically significant face configuration changes of the human face.
INNOVATION OF THE STUDY
In the domestic literature, there is no information on the assessment of the face configuration of during extrusion of the BFP. There is also no data on the maximum distance of extrusionof the BFP. There are no works describing the relationship between the maximum extrusionof the BFP among different groups by gender, age, BMI and type of facial skeleton.
