As a surgical approach targeting the pterygopalatine fossa following maxillary cancer due to tumor invasion, Crockett's method is conventional and useful. However, if the tumor is confined to the area between the maxilla and pterygopalatine fossa, it is not necessary to include the zygomatico-orbital in the access osteotomy, and the orbital floor may be preserved. Depending on the range of tumor invasion, the current study reports a more minimally invasive, modified Crockett's surgery that may be considered, which includes resection with modified osteotomy lines and repositioning with fixation of the zygoma and zygomatic arch following maxillary cancer ablation. In addition, the majority of patients with advanced maxillary cancer may require postoperative radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy following maxillectomy according to several guidelines. Therefore, using a low-profile bioactive resorbable plate system as a method of repositioning and fixing the resected and preserved zygoma and zygomatic arch may be more effective in this modified Crockett's method for maxillectomy.
Keywords: Crockett's method; bioactive resorbable plate; maxillary cancer; zygoma; zygomatic arch.