Relationship of arteries supplying to the anterolateral femoral reverse island skin flap and its clinical significance

Objective: To provide artery' s anatomic basis for the design of anterolateral femoral reverse island skin flap with nervous plexous. Methods: The origins, courses, branches, distributions and outer diameters of the arteries around the knee were investigated on 36 sides of adult low extremity specimens injected with red latex and 10 sides with ink. Eight cast specimens of low extremity were observed. Three - layer' s investigation of the vasculature in the muscular, deep adipofacial and superficial adipofascial layer were anticipated. Results: The arteries around the knee were divided into three distinct layers. The accompanying arteries, in superficial adipofascial layer, were found lying along the lateral femoral nerve to nourish the skin through venocutaneous and neurocutaneous perforators. In each case, either a long artery or a chain-linked system of arteries hitchhiked with the nerve. Three arterial anastomosises, in deep adipofical layer, were identified. Conclusion: On the basis of the anatomy of these accompanying arteries, the anterolateral femoral neuroadipofascial pedicled with fasciocutaneous flap or full - thickness skin flap have been developed for various reconstruction's of the lower extremity with proximal and distal bases.