A reliable surface landmark for localizing supratrochlear artery: medial canthus

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Surgical Landmark Identification
• Vascular Anatomy

Background:

• Accurate localization of the supratrochlear vascular pedicle is crucial for successful paramedian forehead flap reconstruction.
• The medial canthus is a readily accessible surface landmark, but its reliability for pedicle identification requires validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability of the medial canthus as a surface landmark for locating the supratrochlear vascular pedicle.
• To quantify the distance between the medial canthus and the supratrochlear vascular pedicle.

Main Methods:

• A Doppler imaging study was conducted on 57 healthy volunteers.
• Measurements were also performed on 15 fresh cadavers.
• The distance from the medial canthal line to the supratrochlear vascular pedicle was recorded in both groups.

Main Results:

• The supratrochlear vascular pedicle was located within 3 mm of the medial canthus in the Doppler study (mean +/- SD, 0.8 +/- 0.7 mm).
• In cadavers, the pedicle averaged 0.7 mm from the medial canthus.
• Pedicle location relative to the medial canthus showed a trend: more medial in females and lateral in males.

Conclusions:

• The medial canthus serves as a dependable landmark for guiding paramedian forehead flap harvest.
• Even when Doppler examination is unavailable, the pedicle can be reliably found within a 3 mm range of the medial canthus.
• Sex-based differences in pedicle location relative to the medial canthus were observed.