The sternocleidomastoid myocutaneous flap.

The sternocleidomastoid muscle has three blood supplies: the occipital artery superiorly, the superior thyroid in the middle, and the thyrocervical trunk inferiorly. A compound flap has been developed to transport segments of neck skin on either end of a pedicle of sternocleidomastoid muscle to reconstruct defects in the oral cavity or orophaynx. It permits one-stage reconstruction at the time of the primary resection and eliminates the need for skin grafts to the donor sites.