Lateral Circumflex Femoral Arterial System and Perforators of the Anterolateral Thigh Flap: An Anatomic Study

Abstract

The authors performed an anatomic study on 16 thighs of 11 fresh white cadavers at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munchen, Germany. They analyzed the anatomic pattern and caliber of both the lateral circumflex femoral arterial system and the perforators nourishing the anterolateral thigh flap. They found regularly a majority of musculocutaneous perforators, mainly in the central third of the thigh, arising from the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery. Despite the small number of cadavers, they identified several differences in the anatomy of the lateral circumflex femoral arterial system. These variabilities, especially regarding the descending branch and its perforators, could have clinical importance. They also suggest new dissection studies by comparing white and oriental anatomy. Their aim is to establish whether any difference in the variability of the lateral circumflex femoral arterial system could increase the popularity, currently greater in Eastern Europe, of the anterolateral thigh flap.