ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This report evaluates the wound healing process of buccal fat pad (BFP) grafted on a defect of the buccal mucosa for oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with limitation of mouth opening under the diagnosis of OSF were surgically treated by cutting the fibrotic bands on the buccal mucosa (10 bilateral and 6 unilateral). The defects created were then covered by a BFP graft. The bulging BFP was trimmed postoperatively on a weekly basis until it was fully epithelialized. The specimens were stained and examined microscopically. RESULTS: Inflammatory cell infiltrate, blood vessel congestion, and fibrinous exudates covering the BFP were obvious by week 2. At week 3, blood vessel congestion and fat cell number decreased markedly. Evidence of stratified squamous epithelium with parakeratosis was seen in the margin of the BFP graft. At week 4, the number of fat cells decreased significantly and the original BFP was almost completely replaced by granulation tissue. The original BFP was fully covered by stratified squamous epithelium by week 5. CONCLUSIONS: The BFP graft has been widely used for covering exposed defects created by fibrotic band excision for the improvement of mouth opening limitation. The healing process was documented microscopically by weekly observation.
