Anatomical basis of the medial sural artery perforator flap in Asians

Abstract

Forty-four lower limbs preserved in formaldehyde from cadavers of adult Asians were used. In all specimens 1-5 perforating branches from the medial sural artery were found. No perforators were found higher than 5 cm or lower than 17.5 cm from the popliteal crease. In the most common place (16/44, 36%) in which 2 perforators were found, the proximal one was a mean of 9.6 cm away from the popliteal crease, and the distant one 12.8 cm. All perforators were in an area between 0.5 cm and 4.5 cm from the midline of the gastrocnemius muscles. Because of the differences in the length of the muscle belly, the distribution of perforators may differ between white people and Asians. It should be safe to raise this flap in Asians, because the anatomical comparison of the perforators of the medial sural artery between Asians and white people is now clear.