Clinical cognition of anterolateral femoral skin flap with high cutantous artery branches

Objective To recognize relationship between high cutantous artery branches and descending branch of lateral femoral circumflex artery artery, and to investigate blood supply of anterolateral thigh flap in clinical. Methods Retrospective analysis 152 cases of anterolateral thigh flap from November, 2003 to December, 2016. It contains cutting with descending branchs in 99 cases, cutting with lateral branchs in 43 cases, union of them in 8 cases and high cutantous artery branches in 2 cases. Results The flaps survival in 147 cases, cutting necrosis in 3 cases and partly necrosis in 2 cases. Descending and lateral branchs were both dominance neurovascular bundle of vastus lateralis muscle, independently or commonly dominate skin of anterolateral thigh, occurrence rate was 33.5%. Conclusion The descending branch of lateral femoral circumflex artery include lateral branch, all of which are neurovascular bundles, supply anterolateral thigh muscle, and divid into some perforator branches crossing musle to anterolateral thigh skin subsequently, which constitute the anatomical functional unit. High cutantous artery branche is one of all of branches, its origin lies hight and arise from lateral branch. Key words: Anterolateral thigh flap; Lateral femoral circumflex artery, descending branch; High cutantous artery branches; Perforators