Applications of islet musculocutaneous flap from the trapezius muscle for primary plastic operations of oral cavity defects.

13 patients after major resection of oral cavity malignancies had primary plastic operation performed using trapezius muscle musculocutaneous flaps to cover the defect. The flaps were mobilized on a vascular pedicle supplied by the superficial cervical artery and drained by the concomitant vein. Partial flap necrosis was seen in two patients--mainly due to thrombosis of the vein of the pedicle. The vein should have an inside diameter of at least 0.4 cm. In the remaining cases, satisfactory functional and aesthetic results were obtained. In the flap mobilization region there is, as a rule, no growth of hair, which is important as the skin layer of the flap provides the inner lining of the oral cavity.