Two cases of oral carcinoma reconstructed with a lateral upper arm free flap

Abstract

Radial forearm flaps are often used for reconstruction after the removal of oral cancer. Since the flap is relatively thin and flexible, it is very useful for covering of shallow open defects. However, a relatively conspicuous scar and skin depression remain at the donor site after grafting of split thickness skin. The lateral upper arm free flap is similar to the radial forearm flap, but offers a distinct advantage in that the donor site defect can be closed directly. We used a lateral upper arm free flap to repair intraoral defects in two patients. The first patient had squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa. A defect of the buccal and lower gingival region was reconstructed with a lateral upper arm free flap. The second patient had a malignant myoepithelioma of the hard palate, and the defect of the maxilla was reconstructed. The post operative course of both patients was good. There was no flap loss, and each donor site of the upper arm was closed with a linear scar, without any limitation of mobility.