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Coronoid-Temporalis Pedicled Flap for Orbital Floor Defect Reconstruction
Published on: December 5, 2025
Free sural artery perforator flap: An occasional gift in oral cavity reconstruction
Natalie L Pease1, Andrew Davies2, William A Townley1
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St. Thomas' Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Background:
The medial sural artery perforator (MSAP) flap is becoming a popular strategy for reconstructing intraoral defects. We present a case in which no MSAPs were present, however, a perforator-based calf flap was successfully raised on the sural artery and used for tongue reconstruction. A corresponding anatomic study was undertaken to establish if this finding was reproducible.
Methods:
A 58-year-old woman underwent left hemiglossectomy for a squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Subsequently, 6 fresh frozen cadaveric limbs were dissected examining the blood supply of the posterior calf skin.
Results:
The sural artery perforator (SAP) flap successfully reconstructed the defect. Our cadaveric study similarly demonstrated a septocutaneous SAP supplying the posterior calf skin in 1 of 6 limbs.
Conclusion:
SAPs allow a favorable flap dissection, as opposed to the musculocutaneous course of MSAPs. Our findings provide further evidence of the versatility of the calf donor site. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2454-E2456, 2016.
