Slow to heal 2. Susceptible to scarring 2. Uninterrupted incision is smooth and easy to replace. Heals more rapidly, less likely to scar 2. An incision should never cross an underlying bony defect that existed prior to surgery or is produced by surgery.
Radiographs often belie the extension of medullary bone damage because of the density of the cortex.
If the incision line crosses the bony defect, reattachment will be by granulation and scar and healing will be retarded. Selecting a more favorable flap design allows extension of the bony window without concern of its tissue cover. Vertical incisions should be made in bony concavities. Vertical incisions should be made in the concavities between bony eminences where the tissue covering is the thickest and the least susceptible to injury. An incision crossing a root eminence is susceptible to tearing with suturing and may also scar.