Sternocleidomastoid myocutaneous flap for intraoral reconstruction after resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) myocutaneous flap remains an important tool in head and neck reconstruction. This article retrospectively reviews 40 consecutive SCM myocutaneous flaps used for the reconstruction after resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma with respect to reliability and complications.


METHODS
From 1987 to 1997, 40 patients underwent SCM myocutaneous flap reconstruction of the oral cavity. The age and gender of the patients, site of primary tumor TNM stage, type of associated operation, and clinical course were analyzed.


RESULTS
In 8 cases, partial epithelial loss over the skin paddle occurred with survival of the muscle and at least some of the dermis. Unilateral supraomohyoid neck dissection (SND) was performed in 11 cases, and unilateral functional neck dissection, which preserves SCM and/or internal jugular vein and/or accessory nerve, in 16 cases. Pathologically positive nodes were recognized in 14 of these 27 neck dissection cases; in 11 of these 14 cases, the neck lesion was controlled.


CONCLUSIONS
The SCM myocutaneous flap appears to be simple to use and useful for reconstruction of the defect after resection of oral carcinoma, and the indications for this flap will be extended in accordance with the recent increases in the number of supraomohyoid and functional neck dissection cases.
Tanaka
Nobuyuki
N
Department of Oral Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. ntanaka@sapmed.ac.jp
Yamaguchi
Akira
A
Ogi
Kazuhiro
K
Kohama
Geniku
G
D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000637:transplantation*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps