Immediate reconstruction of mandibular defects with a composite sternocleidomastoid musculoclavicular graft

The problem of mandibular reconstruction has been approached using many surgical techniques. This article studies one such approach--reconstruction using full-thickness clavicle pedicled on the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Five patients with stage II and stage III carcinoma of the anterior part of the floor of the mouth were treated with mandibular resection and neck dissection. The resulting defects were immediately reconstructed with the clavicle-sternocleidomastoid muscle technique. The patients were observed from one to three years and were examined postoperatively with technetium Tc 99m medronate scans, which demonstrated the grafts to be viable. The technique proved reliable in a limited clinical trial.