Latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap: vascular anatomy and experimental viability

The effect of the ligature of various vessels on the survival of the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was studied in 33 rabbits. To this end, in one group an island flap was lifted with no vessel ligated; in another the vessels leading to the muscle were ligated; in a third, those leading to the skin; and in a fourth all the vessels together. In another 12 flaps vascularization was studied by means of diaphanization. A greater viable area was found in those groups as opposed to the group in which the cutaneous vessels were ligated. The viability of the flaps was evaluated using disulphine-blue, administered intra-arterially by means of a perfusion pump in 12 cases, and manually in another 12. Neither of the two methods proved to be exact. The vascularization study showed the secondary role of musculocutaneous perforating arteries in skin perfusion, explaining the results observed.