The anatomy of the lateral circumflex femoral artery in anterolateral thigh flap.

OBJECTIVE: To determine systematically the pattern of the cutaneous perforator of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) in anterolateral thigh perforator (ALT) flap. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixty dissections of the LCFA were carried out in 30 preserved cadavers. The number; type, origin, and location of the cutaneous perforators of the LCFA were studied and measured. RESULTS: There were 169 perforators. In 79.3%, the perforators originated from the descending branch, 18.3% from the transverse branch. The perforator of the medial descending and the ascending branch were found in 1.8% and 0.6%, respectively. The most cutaneous perforators were concentrated in the middle third (14 to 28 cm from the ASIS) of the anterolateral thigh region. CONCLUSION: The perforator of the descending branch, which was located ranging from 21 to 35 cm, was appropriate for flap designing to avoid the perforator of the transverse branch, which was difficult to harvest.