This study evaluates the feasibility of using Quantitative Muscle Ultrasound (QMUS) to visualize and quantify changes in orofacial muscles of postoperative oral cancer patients. QMUS offers a non-invasive, patient-friendly method for assessing muscle architecture and function, which may be affected by surgical resection. The study included adult patients who had undergone resection for a first primary pT1 or T2 oral squamous cell carcinoma and were at least one year post-surgery. Ultrasound data were collected on various orofacial muscles, including the geniohyoid, digastric, masseter, transverse, and genioglossus muscles. Each muscle was classified by visibility (clearly visible, questionable, or unclear) to determine which muscles were most accessible through ultrasound. For the clearly visible muscles, the study measured echogenicity and muscle thickness. Of the 37 patients included, the masseter muscle showed the highest visibility, appearing clearly in all images, while the intrinsic tongue muscles demonstrated the lowest visibility (45.9%). Analysis revealed significant correlations between muscle visibility and tumor location for the genioglossus (p=0.029). Additionally, age influenced the visibility of the genioglossus, while BMI affected visibility for both the genioglossus and transverse muscles. Measurements of echogenicity and muscle thickness for clearly visible muscles remained consistent with normative data, suggesting that QMUS provides reliable muscle characterization. The findings indicate that QMUS could be a promising tool for monitoring muscle changes and establishing targeted rehabilitation goals in postoperative oral cancer patients, especially in cases of smaller tumors. Challenges in visualizing certain tongue muscles suggest further research may be needed to optimize QMUS techniques for these patients. Overall, QMUS may provide a valuable addition to post-surgical care by aiding in personalized rehabilitation strategies based on muscle condition.
