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A review of the gross anatomy, functions, pathology, and clinical uses of the buccal fat pad

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Abstract

The buccal fat pad is a trigone-shaped adipose tissue located in the cheek that assumes numerous functional and aesthetic clinical uses. It has been studied extensively within the past four decades, and its use in repairing common and debilitating oral defects is the motive for continued research on this topic. It is vital to understand the etiology of any oral defect or of a lesion of the buccal fat pad, for a misdiagnosis can prevent effective treatment of the underlying problem. In this review, we describe the embryology and anatomy of the buccal fat and its association with clinical condition and clinical procedures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies

    Saad Yousuf & Marios Loukas

  2. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, AL, USA

    R. Shane Tubbs

  3. Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Christopher T. Wartmann

  4. Department of Biomaterials and Advanced Prosthodontics, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Theodoros Kapos

  5. Clarian Neurosurgical Group and Department of Neurosurgery, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Aaron A. Cohen-Gadol

Authors
  1. Saad Yousuf
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  2. R. Shane Tubbs
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  3. Christopher T. Wartmann
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  4. Theodoros Kapos
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  5. Aaron A. Cohen-Gadol
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  6. Marios Loukas
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Correspondence to Marios Loukas.

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Yousuf, S., Shane Tubbs, R., Wartmann, C.T. et al. A review of the gross anatomy, functions, pathology, and clinical uses of the buccal fat pad. Surg Radiol Anat 32, 427–436 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-009-0596-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-009-0596-6

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