Donor site morbidity after scapular tip free flaps in head-and-neck reconstruction

Background Recently, the scapular tip free flap has been popularized as a valuable option for bone reconstruction of the head and neck area. Analyses of perioperative and long-time morbidity are crucial to enable complete comprehension of this technique and will be presented in this paper. Methods Perioperative and long-term morbidity of scapular tip flaps harvesting were analyzed in a cohort of 19 patients. Local complications and ambulation-time were used to assess perioperative results, while Constant-Murley and DASH scores were used to evaluate long-term morbidity on shoulder functions. Results Local perioperative complications were minimal (three cases of seroma and two wound dehiscence). Ambulation time ranged between 2 and 4 days (mean 2.7 days). Constant-Murley scores ranged between 66 and 100 (mean 92.2). The DASH score ranged between 39 and 85 (mean 48.6). Conclusion Harvesting a scapular tip free flap resulted in very low shoulder morbidity, without interfering the patient's daily activities.