The versatility of pectoralis major muscle and musculocutaneous flaps in the reconstruction of the oral cavity and of the anterior chest wall

Musculocutaneous flaps, allowing one stage reconstructions and reducing the stay in hospital and rehabilitation period, have revolutionised modern plastic surgery. Muscle flaps are a good alternative to provide adequate coverage of tissue losses but with limited scarring. The authors report their 5 year clinical experience in the reconstruction of oral cavity and chest wall defects using the pectoralis major as muscle or musculocutaneous flap. The preliminary data of an angiographic study, confirming the segmentation of the pectoralis major muscle into two subunits, each provided with its own vascular supply (mainly the clavicular and the sternocostal segment), are also presented. The short and long-term results confirm the excellent viability and versatility of the pectoralis major musculocutaneous and muscle flap. In particular the complications rate is so low that this procedure can be considered safe and reliable.