Objective To summary the clinical application of free fibular composite flaps in repair of mandibular defect. Methods Fiftyeight cases of mandibular reconstruction using free fibular flaps, from June 1999 to November 2000, were reviewed, among which there were 37 cases of male and 21 cases of female, aged from 12 to 65 years old. All of the relevant data of the operation, such as the cause of the defect, design of the flaps, the blood vessels of the recipientand the complications, were included and analyzed. Results The fibular flap was 10.9 cm (4-21 cm) averagely in length and was harvested for 2.1 times (1-4 times); the average size of the skin paddle was 5.88 cm×3.13 cm. Of 58 flaps, therewere 56 survived; the overall complication rate was 24.1%.Conclusion It’s safe and reliable to use free fibular flap to reconstruct the mandibular defect.
The discrete choice experiment (DCE) is a stated preference analysis method to evaluate the impact of multiple factors on individual choice, which has been explored by scholars around the world for health utility measurement. This method is considered to reduce the cognitive burden of traditional utility measurement methods and has high development potential. Through examining empirical studies conducted domestically and internationally that employ DCE for measuring health utility, and drawing on methodological guidelines for constructing DCE models, this article provides an overview of the methodological background of DCE, the practical process used for measuring health utility, and discusses relevant challenges in its application.