Photogrammetric Comparison of Tripartite Frontalis Muscle Flap Transposition to Frontalis Myofascial Advancement Flap at Blepharoptosis

Kim, Hyunji; Han, Kihwan

Abstract

Lately, both the frontalis muscle flap transposition and the frontalis myofascial advancement flap have been used mainly for the correction of blepharoptosis with poor levator function. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to know the functional differences of these two methods by objective method. During the past 16 years, the 43 patients, aged 5 to 68 years(mean 32.4 years) have been undergone the tripartite frontalis muscle flap transposition(unilateral 16 patients; bilatral 12 patients, 24 eyelids) and the frontalis myofascial advancement flap(unilateral 8 patients; bilateral 7 patients, 14 eyelids). To compare these two methods, this study was done with the anthropometry using photogrammetric analysis with an average follow-up of 5.5 years. Ptosis ratio on the primary gaze and the upward gaze, and the height of palpebral fissure on the downward gaze and the closing eyes were measured. The results were statistically analysed using Wilcoxon signed ranks test. In conclusion, there is no difference on the primary gaze, the downward gaze, and the closing eyes between the tripartite frontalis muscle flap transposition and the frontalis myofascial advancement flap, but ptosis degree on the upward gaze was less severe in the tripartite frontalis muscle flap transposition. This difference may result from disparity in contractile power of the frontalis muscle due to not only anatomical structure but also size of the flap. Second, the orbicularis oculi muscle is atropied by denervation of the temporal branch of the facial nerve in frontalis myofascial advancement flap.