Use of the innervated platysma flap in facial reanimation.

Abstract

The innervated platysma musculocutaneous flap replaces facial tissue with like tissue. The thinness of the flap, the color match, and the presence of functional subcutaneous muscle are unmatched by any other flap that does not originate on the face. The superior blood supply is reliably provided by the submental branch of the facial artery, creating a reliable axial flap. Rotation of the muscle into the cheek aligns the fibers of the platysma muscle to provide upward pull on the oral commissure to assist with facial animation. Three cases of innervated platysma flap rotation to reconstruct the contour of the cheek and assist with facial animation are reported. All the patients achieved an improved facial contour and all flaps demonstrated noticeable contraction, augmenting facial animation.