Nam Yong-Seok, Kim Hyung Bae, Kim Sang Hyun, Eom Jin Sup, Han Hyun Ho
Department of Anatomy, College of Korean Medicine, Dongshin University, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea.
Department of Anatomy and Catholic Institute for Applied Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
J Reconstr Microsurg. 2023 Nov;39(9):727-733. doi: 10.1055/a-2056-0840. Epub 2023 Mar 16.
This cadaveric study aimed to describe the anatomy of the profunda artery perforators (PAPs).
In total, nine free cadavers with 18 upper thighs were dissected, 12 of which were from female cadavers, and 6 were from male cadavers. The average age of the cadavers was 84.7 ± 4.2 years. Dissection was performed to evaluate the anatomic position and characteristics of the femoral PAPs. The perforator distance from the gluteal sulcus, number of perforators, perforating muscles, diameter of the perforators, origin of the perforators, and number of nerves passing above and below the perforators were determined.
The average number of perforators that penetrate the adductor magnus muscle was 2.5. The average distance from the origin of the perforators to the gluteal sulcus was 71.72 ± 28.23 mm. The average numbers of the obturator nerves passing above and below the perforator in the adductor magnus muscle were 1.3 (range, 0-4) and 0.7 (range, 0-2), respectively.
The results provide a detailed anatomic basis for the PAP flap. The perforators of a PAP flap may be included in a flap with a transverse design. Sacrificing the small obturator nerves during dissection may not lead to significant donor site morbidity.
