Mandible Preservation in Cancer of the Floor of the Mouth: Anatomical and Oncological Considerations

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Abstract
An extended marginal mandibulectomy can be performed in most T2-T3 carcinomas of the floor of the mouth that abut the anterior mandible if there is no radiologic evidence of bony invasion or clinical evidence of fixation. We propose a modification of the marginal mandibulectomy that maintains viability to the anterior mandibular remnant and thus decreases the morbidity associated with a loss of blood supply. This modification permits preservation of a viable mandibular remnant with significantly less loss of function than with the traditional segmental mandibular resection, while remaining oncologically sound. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1994;120:1197-1200)