[Applied anatomy of the submental vessels and submental flaps]

To search ideal flaps for facial defect repair, the authors performed dissection in the submental region of 20 cadavers. Different methods were used in the anatomic study. It is concluded that 1. there is a submental artery and two concomitant veins on each side of the submental region; 2. four types of flaps can be formed; 3. the flap can be transferred as a free or pedicled flap; 4. while creating the flap, the anterior belly of the bigastric muscle should be included and the branches of the facial nerve and inferior alveolar nerve must be protected. With the well-matched color and texture, the flap of the submental region is suitable for facial defect repair.