Clinical factors
Barbed suture group (n = 27)
Interrupt suture group (n =13)
p-value
Age (years, mean ± SD) 56.3 ± 14.6 60.3 ± 15.7 0.376
Sex (M:F, n, %) 19:8 (70.4:29.6) 8:5 (61.5:38.5) 0.722
Primary vs. Salvage (n, %) 24:3 (88.9:11.1) 11:2 (84.6:15.4) 0.702
Tumor location (n, %)
Tongue / RMT/ FOM / Buccal 20 / 2 / 2 / 3 (74.1 / 7.4 / 7.4 / 11.1) 9 / 0 / 2 / 2 (69.2 / 0 / 15.4 / 15.4)
0.450
Surgery (n, %)
Partial glossectomy
18 (66.7)
9 (69.2)
Hemiglossectomy
3 (11.1)
1 (7.7)
0.741
Subtotal glossectomy
1 (3.7)
1 (7.7)
Buccal resection
3(11.1)
2 (15.4)
RMT resection
2 (7.4)
0 (0)
Suture site (n, %)
Oral cavity (tongue ± FOM)
18 (66.7)
7 (53.8)
Oral cavity + BOT
5 (18.5)
4 (30.8)
0.710
Buccal or RMT
4 (14.8)
2 (15.4)
T stage (n, %) 1:2:3:4
13:9:2:1 (48.1:33.3:7.4:11.1)
6:3:3:1 (46.2:23.1:23.1:7.7)
0.544
Defect size (long, cm, mean ± SD) 7.5 ± 2.3 4.9 ± 1.9 0.391
Defect size (short, cm, mean ± SD) 6.9 ± 2.9 5.4 ± 1.8 0.252
Primary vs. Salvage 24:3 (88.9:11.1) 11:2 (84.6:15.4) 0.531
Reconstruction
Primary
13 (48.1)
7 (53.8)
Regional flap
4 (14.8)
2 (15.4)
0.903
Free flap
10 (37.0)
4 (30.8)