Anatomical comparison of the anterolateral thigh perforator flap and the parascapular and lateral arm skin flaps / "Comparação anatômica entre o retalho perfurante ântero-lateral da coxa e os retalhos cutâneos paraescapular e lateral do braço"

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2006

RESUMO

The description of the skin flaps based on perforator vessels is recent. The vascularization of the anterolateral thigh flap is based on perforator vessels coming from the lateral circumflex femoral artery. It has a thin skin paddle, a long and large vascular pedicle and low donor site morbidity. However, the dissection of the intramuscular path of its pedicle is technically difficult. Its indication is sometimes questionable since it is a flap with characteristics similar to others based on direct cutaneous or septocutaneous vessels, which have less anatomical variations and are easier to dissect. This study evaluated the anatomical characteristics of the anterolateral thigh perforator flap through the dissection of fresh cadavers, comparing them with those of the parascapular and lateral arm skin flap. Sixty flaps were dissected (20 anterolateral thigh, 20 parascapular and 20 lateral arm flaps) in 20 fresh cadavers, not perfused with formaldehyde, less than 24 hours after death. The following aspects were evaluated in all the flaps: length of the vascular pedicle, thickness of the flap and diameter of the arterial and venous vascular pedicle. Additionally, the presence of the intramuscular path of the vascular pedicle was evaluated (only in the dissections of the anterolateral thigh flap). The comparative analysis showed that the vascular pedicle of the anterolateral thigh perforator flap is longer when compared to those of the parascapular and lateral arm flaps (p<0,001). The lateral arm flap presented a pedicle with smaller arterial and venous diameter (p<0,001), in addition to being the thinner flap (p<0,001). It was verified that the vascular pedicle of the anterolateral thigh flap presented an intramuscular path in 17 (85%) cases. The average length of the intramuscular segment of the main perforator vessel was 4,13+2,02 cm. The data was compared and evaluated with variance analysis. The information obtained allows one to conclude that the advantage the anterolateral thigh perforator flap has over the other skin flaps is a longer vascular pedicle. However, the need for intramuscular dissection of a segment of this pedicle presented itself in 85% of the cases. The lateral arm flap is the thinnest flap, and the one with the smaller arterial and venous diameter of its vascular pedicle. The parascapular flap has anatomical characteristics similar to those of the anterolateral thigh flap, with no evidence of a significant difference between their thicknesses and diameters of vascular pedicles. Its vascular pedicle is shorter when compared to that of the anterolateral thigh flap. On the other hand, it is a fasciocutaneous vessel, without the need for intramuscular dissection.

ASSUNTO(S)

anatomia comparada arm/anatomy &histology dorso/ anatomia &histologia comparative anatomy back/ anatomy &histology thigh/anatomy &histology microcirurgia retalhos cirúrgicos braço/anatomia &histologia microsurgery coxa/anatomia &histologia surgical flaps

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