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Updated: May 12, 2026
Modified Radical Neck Dissection for Cervical Metastasis
Published on: February 20, 2026
Scoping review of the literature on shoulder impairments and disability after neck dissection
David P Goldstein1, Jolie Ringash, Eric Bissada
1Department of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background:
The purpose of this article was to provide a review of the literature on shoulder disability after neck dissection.
Methods:
A literature review was performed using Ovid Medline and Embase databases. A total of 306 abstracts and 78 full-text articles were reviewed. Forty-two articles were eligible for inclusion.
Results:
Patients undergoing nerve-sacrifice neck dissections have greater disability and lower quality of life scores than those undergoing neck dissections with the least manipulation (ie, selective neck dissections). Shoulder impairments can still occur in patients undergoing selective neck dissections. Disability typically improves over time in patients undergoing nerve-sparing neck dissections.
Conclusion:
There was significant variability in the literature in terms of the prevalence and recovery of shoulder morbidity after neck dissection. This variability may not just be related to surgical technique or rehabilitation, but also to study design, definitions, and the variability in disability questionnaires used.
