Temporoparietal Fascia Flaps

Excerpt

The temporoparietal fascia flap (TPFF) is a versatile flap that is frequently employed in the reconstruction of craniofacial defects requiring thin, pliable, and well-vascularized tissue that can support skin grafting (see Image. Temporoparietal Fascia Flap). The TPFF is commonly transferred pedicled to repair the scalp, auricle, facial soft tissue, orbit, oral cavity, nasopharynx, and skull base defects.

This flap is considered an axial flap because it contains the superficial temporal artery within it, which allows it to provide up to a 14 x 17 cm sheet of soft tissue; however, the flap may even be elevated with its overlying scalp, making it particularly useful for defects of hair-bearing regions. If more substantial reconstruction is required, the TPFF may be harvested, combined, or chimeric with deep temporal fascia, temporalis muscle, or subjacent calvarial bone. When harvested for free microvascular anastomosis based on the superficial temporal artery and vein, the TPFF can be applied to various extremity reconstructions, particularly in the hands and feet.