Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2025
A Postoperative Evaluation Guideline for Computer-Assisted Reconstruction of the Mandible
Published on: January 28, 2020
Comparison of patient-reported upper extremity disability following free flaps in head and neck reconstruction: A
Kushi Ranganath1, Lauren E Miller1, Deborah Goss2
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Background:
Comparisons of patient-reported donor site morbidity based on the Disabilities in Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) instrument across upper trunk free flaps in head and neck surgery, including radial forearm (RFFF), osteocutaneous radial forearm (OCRFF), scapular tip (STFF), and serratus anterior (SAFF) free flaps, may help inform donor tissue selection.
Methods:
In this meta-analysis, 12 studies were included and the primary outcome was average DASH score.
Results:
The pooled DASH scores were 12.14 (95% CI: 7.40-16.88) for RFFF (5 studies), 17.99 (11.87-24.12) for OCRFF (2 studies), 12.19 (8.74-15.64) for STFF (3 studies), and 16.49 (5.92-27.05) for SAFF (2 studies) and were not significantly different.
Conclusions:
Results suggest that patients generally function well, with minimal to mild donor site morbidity, when assessed at an average of 20 months after flap harvest. These results are based on few effects from primarily retrospective studies of fair quality, and further research is needed.
