Compression plates in the treatment of advanced anterior floor of mouth carcinoma.

Advanced anterior floor of mouth squamous cell carcinoma has been traditionally treated with wide excision in conjunction with mandibulectomy and radical neck dissection. This has resulted in significant mandibulofacial defects with functional and cosmetic significance. Efforts at primary reconstruction in the past using bone grafts, osteomyocutaneous flaps, and other methods have yielded unsatisfactory results. A history of prior irradiation has made this problem even more refractory. We present a series of 11 patients who underwent composite resection for advanced anterior floor of mouth carcinoma (T2-T4), with primary reconstruction using a dynamic compression plating system in conjunction with local and regional tissue flaps. The clinical courses, complications, and surgical techniques are discussed. The issues of reconstruction at primary treatment, irradiation with a metal plate in the field, and the early restoration of oral function are addressed. Experience in this series shows that compression plates can be an effective method of primary reconstruction for advanced anterior floor of mouth lesions.