Background The incidence and influencing factors of surgical site infection(SSI) in oral cancer were investigated through meta-analysis. Methods The search was conducted from inception until April 2024 in databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library using a combination of subject terms and keywords. Observational studies (cohort and case-control) investigating the incidence and influencing factors of SSI in patients with oral cancer were included for data collection.