Sternocleidomastoid myocutaneous flap for intraoral reconstruction.

The results of healing of the sternocleidomastoid myocutaneous flap in 22 patients operated upon because of cancer of the tongue and floor of the mouth are presented. An inferiorly based island flap was used in 5 patients. Although total or partial cutaneous necrosis occurred in 4 of the patients, the wound healed without fistula formation in all cases. A superiorly based compound flap was used in 17 patients and in 5 of them the oral part of the skin underwent total or partial necrosis.