Muscle perforator flaps: the name game.

Abstract

The creation of a consistent nomenclature for muscle perforator flaps is essential not only to eliminate confusion in the literature, but also to facilitate their surgical application. Universal acceptance demands that the chosen system be as simple as possible, yet remain comprehensive and flexible enough to anticipate future adaptations. Flaps named by anatomical region alone can be ambiguous due to the frequent variations in perforator origin and sometimes multiple or overlapping "mother" vessels, which unfortunately is an inherent characteristic of muscle perforator flaps. One sensible solution is an appellation that includes both the involved muscle and its source vessel, in any order, eg. "source vessel(MUSCLE)" or "muscle(SOURCE VESSEL)" perforator flap. Such a combination immediately readily identifies the precise anatomical location of the flap, as well as stating exactly which vascular pedicle must be dissected.