The blood supply of the deltoid muscle. Application to the deltoid flap technique.

The major ruptures of the rotators cuff point out the problem of their surgical repair. Various techniques are described in the literature, among them the deltoid flap technique, described by Apoil and Augereau. This technique points out the problem of a few cases of flap early necrosis (Saragaglia). We studied the deltoid arterial blood supply on 40 cadaveric shoulder, after coloured injection into the subclavian artery. Our study included 40 macroscopic and 15 radiographic observations. The thoracoacromial artery gave off two collaterals to the anterior part of the deltoid muscle. The first one, called the deltoid artery, ran into the anterior part of the deltoid, near the deltopectoral line. In 53%, it gave off a first superior collateral branch, which ran at 3 cm under the clavicle. The second one, called the acromial artery, ran deep to the anterior part of the deltoid muscle, near the clavicle and the acromion. The posterior circumflex humeral artery was the most important artery. It supplied the posterior and middle parts of the deltoid muscle. The anterior circumflex humeral artery supplied the anterior part of the deltoid muscle in 63%. In ten cases, we dissected a deltoid flap. In all the cases, the acromial artery was cut near the acromion. When the deltoid artery gives off its superior collateral branch, it was always cut. Then, this flap was only vascularized by its inferior aspect. These results show that the flap is located in a poorly supplied area. Thus, the flap necrosis could be explained by an insufficient anastomotic network. An operative technique modification could avoid this complication.