Analysis of the articulation after glossectomy

Area of Science:

• Oral surgery
• Speech pathology
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Effective rehabilitation for oral cancer patients requires restoring both form and function.
• Quantitative evaluation of post-operative articulatory function remains underreported.
• Glossectomy significantly impacts speech articulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively evaluate post-operative articulatory function after glossectomy.
• To compare the effectiveness of forearm flap reconstruction versus direct suturing on speech function.
• To assess the utility of speech intelligibility, electropalatography (EPG), and acoustical analysis in evaluating articulatory recovery.

Main Methods:

• Study included 10 glossectomy patients (5 direct suture, 5 forearm flap reconstruction).
• Speech intelligibility and acoustical analysis were performed pre-operation and at 1, 6, and 12 months post-operation.
• Electropalatography (EPG) data were collected at 6 months post-operation.

Main Results:

• Forearm flap reconstruction demonstrated a higher restorative tendency in speech function compared to direct suturing.
• Acoustical analysis results aligned more closely with EPG findings than with speech intelligibility test results.
• Acoustical analysis revealed changes in articulatory movement post-surgery.

Conclusions:

• Forearm flap reconstruction is beneficial for restoring articulatory function after glossectomy.
• Acoustical analysis is a valuable tool for quantitatively assessing post-operative articulatory function.
• Combining acoustical analysis with EPG provides robust data for speech rehabilitation evaluation.