Title
Sternocleidomastoid muscle flap for dead space obliteration following neck dissection
Authors
Tasveer Fatima1, Stiti Pragnya2, Kanak Pareek3, Zameer Pasha4, Mousami Kundu5, Vikram Karande6,* & Ayush Garg7
Affiliation
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Elegancia Dental Clinic: The Maxillofacial and Implant Centre, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India; 2Department of Dentistry, Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital, Baripada, Odisha, India; 3Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology, Cortico Core, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India; 4Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Durrat Al-Alammi Dental Clinic, Al-Majmaah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Awadh Dental College and Hospital, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India; 6Department of Dentistry, AIIMS, Rajkot, Gujarat, 360006, India; 7Department of Oral Surgery, Rayat Bahra Dental College and Hospital, Saharaun, Punjab, India; *Corresponding author
Tasveer Fatima - E-mail: drtasveer0011@gmail.com
Stiti Pragnya - E-mail: pragnya5764@gmail.com
Kanak Pareek - E-mail: kaypee.pareek@gmail.com
Zameer Pasha - E-mail: drzameer71@gmail.com
Mousami Kundu - E-mail: drmousamimds@gmail.com
Vikram Karande - E-mail: hoddental@aiimsrajkot.edu.in
Ayush Garg - E-mail: ayushgarg3120@gmail.com
Article Type
Research Article
Date
Received August 1, 2026; Revised August 31, 2026; Accepted August 31, 2026, Published August 31, 2026
Abstract
Dead space formation after head and neck cancer surgery contributes to post-operative complications like SSI, seroma and fistula formation. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the use of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle flap for dead space obliteration, focusing on flap viability, clinical outcomes and complication rates. A prospective observational study on 20 patients showed 85% complete flap survival, with minimal post-operative morbidity. The SCM muscle flap showed high reliability and safety, with no need for revision surgery. Thus, data shows the efficacy of SCM muscle flaps in minimizing complications post-surgery.
Keywords
Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle flap, dead space obliteration, head and neck cancer, neck dissection, regional flaps
Citation
Fatima et al. Bioinformation 22(8): 4550-4553 (2026)
Edited by
Ritik Kashwani
ISSN
0973-2063
Publisher
License
This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
