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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Murine Spinotrapezius Model to Assess the Impact of Arteriolar Ligation on Microvascular Function and Remodeling
Published on: March 3, 2013
A case of latissimus dorsi pedicle arising from the lateral thoracic vessels
Arno R Schleich1, Tanya M Oswald, William C Lineaeweaver
1Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39260, USA. drsramd@verizon.net
Abstract:
The thoracodorsal system represents a versatile, yet reliable system for the harvest of tissues for microsurgical transplantation. Also, the donor vessel anatomy is generally thought to be highly predictable in terms of topography and branching patterns. In this article we describe for the first time the occurrence of a branching pattern during a clinical harvest of the latissimus dorsi muscle flap, previously encountered only in cadaver dissections. We compare our intraoperative findings with published anatomical investigations and discuss the implications of this particular variation of the blood supply to the latissimus dorsi muscle for clinical practice.
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