Department of Anatomy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
Clin Anat. 2022 May;35(4):469-476. doi: 10.1002/ca.23817. Epub 2021 Dec 7.
The facial artery (FA) is the main artery supplying the anterior face, making this artery a very important structure to consider while performing plastic and reconstructive procedures. The literature shows discrepancies in anatomical classifications and the frequency of occurrence of individual variations. Therefore, the goal of this meta-analysis is to provide surgeons with helpful knowledge about the variety of the termination of FA. Articles with data about the termination of the FA were found in major online medical databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web Of Science, and Cochrane Library. A total of 1346 articles were initially evaluated by two independent reviewers. Out of those, 24 articles matched the required criteria, and were used in this meta-analysis. A total of 2119 studied FAs were included in this study. The FA termination patterns were divided into five previously classified types. The data show that the FA terminates most frequently as the lateral nasal or angular artery with the prevalence for this group being 69.81% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 59.83%-78.94%). Authors believe that this is the most accurate and up to date study regarding termination patterns and the prevalence of the FA. The results of this meta-analysis could provide a helpful tool for surgeons preforming plastic and cosmetic procedures, especially when injecting dermal fillers or choosing and preforming facial flaps. Detailed anatomical knowledge about the FA may prevent potential surgical complications.
面动脉(FA)是供应面部前部的主要动脉,因此在进行整形和重建手术时,这条动脉是一个非常重要的结构。文献显示,在解剖分类和个体变异的发生频率方面存在差异。因此,本荟萃分析的目的是为外科医生提供关于 FA 终止方式多样性的有用知识。在 PubMed、Scopus、Embase、Web of Science 和 Cochrane Library 等主要在线医学数据库中找到了关于 FA 终止的文章。最初,两名独立评审员评估了 1346 篇文章。其中,24 篇文章符合要求标准,被用于本荟萃分析。本研究共纳入 2119 条研究 FA。FA 的终止模式分为五种先前分类的类型。数据显示,FA 最常作为外侧鼻或角动脉终止,该组的患病率为 69.81%(95%置信区间[CI]:59.83%-78.94%)。作者认为,这是关于 FA 终止模式和患病率的最准确和最新的研究。本荟萃分析的结果可为进行整形美容手术的外科医生提供有用的工具,尤其是在注射真皮填充剂或选择和进行面部皮瓣时。对面动脉的详细解剖知识可能会预防潜在的手术并发症。