The relationship between fasciocutaneous perforators and their fascial branches: an anatomical study in human cadaver lower legs.

Abstract

Although a variety of lower leg fascial and fasciocutaneous flaps have been developed, the vascular anatomy of these flaps has not been established fully. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the size of a fasciocutaneous perforator and the size and number of its fascial branches. The deep fascia was harvested from five preserved cadaver lower legs. Fasciocutaneous vessels were studied with the aid of a dissecting microscope. There was a moderately strong positive correlation between the external diameter of a fasciocutaneous vessel and the external diameter of its largest fascial branch (correlation coefficient: r = 0.644; t = 6.072; 52 df; p < 0.001). There was a weakly positive correlation between the external diameter of a fasciocutaneous perforator and the number of its fascial branches (correlation coefficient: r = 0.217; t = 11.84; 52 df; p < 0.001). The results of this study establish an anatomical basis for using large fasciocutaneous perforators in the design of lower leg fascial flaps.