Comparison of skin elasticity and stiffness of the thoracodorsal artery perforator flap and commonly used flaps in head and neck reconstruction

Background Reconstruction of oral and maxillofacial defects requires soft and ductile flaps. Thoracodorsal artery perforator flap (TDAP) has good plasticity, but it is not widely used in the repair of oral and maxillofacial defects. The main aims of this study are to compare the skin elasticity and hardness of various free flaps commonly used in reconstructive surgery, and to explore the advantages and disadvantages of TDAP.Methods The elasticity and stiffness of the most commonly used free flaps in our department were measured by ElastiMeter and SkinFibroMeter. The elasticity and stiffness values of TDAP, anterolateral thigh flap, anterior medial femoral flap and forearm flap were measured respectively.Results The elasticity of TDAP was the lowest among all flaps, and the difference was statistically significant, except for the forearm flap (p = 0.000; p = 0.000; p = 0.06). The stiffness of TDAP was the lowest among all skin flaps, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.000; p = 0.000; p = 0.000).Conclusions TDAP is indeed suitable for reconstruction of head and neck defect, especially oral and oropharyngeal defect. Due to the ductile texture of TDAP, it is very conducive to the recovery of the morphology and function of oral and oropharyngeal organs.