Unusual Vascular Supply to Extensor Digitorum Brevis.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Vascular Anatomy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Lower limb reconstruction after trauma is complex.
• Vessel integrity post-injury often limits local reconstructive options.
• Computed tomography angiography (CTA) aids in mapping vascular supply.

Observation:

• Anatomical variant of the extensor digitorum brevis muscle identified.
• Dual dominant blood supply observed from an anterior tibial artery branch.
• This variant originated at the mid-tibial level.

Findings:

• CTA preoperatively identified the variant's dual dominant supply.
• Intraoperative confirmation of the variant's vascular contribution.
• Reconstruction utilized this unusual anatomy, preserving the dorsalis pedis artery.

Implications:

• Enables successful lower limb reconstruction by leveraging anatomical variants.
• Avoids distal vessel sacrifice, improving reconstructive outcomes.
• Highlights the role of advanced imaging in identifying and utilizing vascular anomalies.