[Anatomical and clinical studies on peroneal vascularized composite tissue transfer]

An anatomical study of the peroneal artery and vein and their branches was carried out on 86 cadaver legs. The number of cutaneous branches was 4.8 +/- 1.4 per leg. The length of the cutaneous branches was 5.5 +/- 1.6 cm. The external diameters of cutaneous branches at the skin distribution site were 0.6 +/- 0.2 mm for the artery and 0.8 +/- 0.3mm for the vein. The peroneal vessels gave off communicating branches to anterior or posterior tibial vessels 6.1 +/- 2.4 cm proximal from the lateral malleolus. The range of rotation of island flap when transposed proximally was 14.3 +/- 3.3 cm proximal from the head of the fibula, and when transposed distally, the range of rotation was 16.9 +/- 5.3 cm distal from the lateral malleolus. Based on the results obtained from these experimental studies, we have been performing peroneal vascularized tissue transfer since 1982. A total of 72 cases have been performed, and the results have been encouraging.