An anterolateral thigh flap based on the superior cutaneous perforator artery: an anatomic study and case reports

This study was performed to observe the patterns of the superior perforator artery as a pedicle for an anterolateral thigh flap and report the results of clinical application. The perforator arteries at the anterolateral part of the thigh were observed on 50 lower limbs from embalmed cadavers and the results of 65 clinical cases who received transfer of the anterolateral thigh flap, which adopted the superior perforator artery as the pedicle. This study found that 34 superior perforator arteries presented in 29 of the 50 cadaveric limbs (58%), which might arise from the ascending branch, the transverse branch, and the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery. All flaps of the 65 clinical cases survived postoperatively. Our results showed that the superior perforator artery has a high occurrence and a relative constant location. We thought that it could be adopted as a complement of the conventional perforator artery.