The vascular anatomy of the human temporalis muscle: implications for surgical splitting techniques

Despite the wide application of the temporalis muscle flap and its modifications, understanding of the vascular pattern and territories within the muscle remains poor. This study aimed to evaluate the vascular architecture in the human temporalis muscle for surgical application. The material comprised 15 fresh cadavers (30 muscle specimens), which were divided into three groups for vascular infusion by either Indian ink solution, lead oxide solution, or methylmethacrylate resin. The vascular network in the temporalis muscle was analyzed by stereomicroscopy, radiography, and scanning electron microscopy. The human temporalis muscle was found to have vascular supply from three primary arteries: the anterior deep temporal artery (ADTA), the posterior deep temporal artery (PDTA), and the middle temporal artery (MTA). Each primary artery branched into the secondary arterioles and then the terminal arterioles. The venous network accompanied the arteries, and double veins pairing one artery was a common finding. The capillaries formed a dense, interlacing network with orientation along the muscle fibres. Arteriovenous anastomosis was absent. In the coronal plane, the vessels were located mainly on the lateral and medial aspects of the muscle with a significantly lower vascular density in the midline. Morphometric analysis of the arterial network showed that the PDTA was larger in size at primary and secondary branching levels than the ADTA and the MTA, whereas no differences were present at the terminal arteriolar levels. The distribution of the arterial territories was as follows: the ADTA occupied 21% anteriorly, the PDTA occupied 41% in the middle region, and the MTA occupied 38% in the posterior region. This improved understanding of the vascular architecture within the temporalis muscle complements the anatomic basis of the flap-splitting technique and increases the safety of its application.