Analysis of the hyoid motion of tongue cancer patients

Abstract

ObjectiveWe aimed to analyze movement of the hyoid bone in patients with tongue cancer following radical surgery without pre- or postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. MethodsTen patients (five males, five females; average age, 56.9 years) with histologically confirmed tongue squamous cell carcinoma underwent pre- and postoperative videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing and radical surgery at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Kobe University Hospital, Japan. All patients underwent modified radical neck dissection and hemiglossectomy of the mobile tongue with reconstruction using a free radial forearm flap. Hyoid motion was analyzed using the DIPP-Motion PRO2D cineradiography system. According to previous reports, hyoid motion during swallowing is divided into three elements: rearward and upward, forward and upward, and rearward and downward movements. These movements were compared pre- and postoperatively. The endpoints were movement speed, distance, and time. ResultsPostoperatively, radical surgery resulted in motor impairment of the hyoid, with decreased movement capacity, including decreased movement distance, time required, speed, and range of motion during swallowing. ConclusionsHyoid motion analysis could be useful to maintain the quality of life of patients with oral cancer in the future as it could also be used to assess patients after bilateral neck dissection, mandibular resection, and radiotherapy.