The arterial basis of pharyngeal flaps

The arterial basis of pharyngeal flaps is unknown. Injection and dissection studies have been used in 41 adult human cadavers to study the arterial supply of pharyngoplasties in current use. Superiorly based posterior pharyngeal flaps are "random" in nature, inferiorly based posterior pharyngeal flaps may include an "axial" vessel, laterally based posterior pharyngeal flaps will include an "axial" vessel, and laterally based "sphincter" pharyngoplasties, although supplied segmentally, will contain an "axial" vessel if raised up to but not beyond the upper pole of the tonsil.