A retrospective propensity score-matched analysis of oncological and functional outcomes of submental island flap versus radial forearm free flap for oral cavity cancer reconstruction.

Background: This retrospective study aims to compare the oncological and functional outcomes of the submental island flap versus the radial forearm free flap used for oral cavity cancer reconstruction after minimizing differences in baseline characteristics.

Methods: Propensity scores for each oral cavity cancer patient who underwent surgical resection and immediate reconstruction with a submental island flap or a radial forearm free flap with a flap size ≤ 60 cm between October 2008 and December 2021 were generated based on the likelihood of being selected given their baseline characteristics. Patients were matched using a 1:1 nearest-neighbor approach.