The fibula osteoseptocutaneous flap: evolution in concepts, techniques, and technologies during mandibular reconstruction - a review.

The fibula-free flap has evolved from its initial description to be a reliable workhorse-free flap providing bone, soft tissue, and a reliable skin paddle. The senior author has been refining this technique since the mid-1980s and has personally performed over 950 hundred cases of the fibula-free flap. The following paragraphs detail an evolution in surgical concepts related to this technique's refinement and serves as a roadmap detailing contemporary mandibular reconstruction.