Dealing with aberrant vessels in radial forearm flaps - report of a case and review of literature.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:
Anomalies of the radial artery are uncommon. A brief tabulated review of the literature is presented. CASE

REPORT:
We report a rare anomaly of the forearm vascular anatomy we encountered when elevating a radial forearm free flap.

This is a previously unreported anatomical variation.

The radial artery divided into medial and lateral branches (accompanied by their respective venae commitantes) about 1.5 cm below the bifurcation of the brachial artery.

The skin paddle was predominantly supplied by the aberrant medial branch and was raised on this branch along with its venae commitantes up to the point of division.

CONCLUSION:
This case highlights the need for vigilance when raising free flaps and the techniques employed to avoid compromising both limb and skin paddle perfusion.

Full Text

• DOI - Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery : official publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery (DOI)
• EBSCO - full-text online (subscription/membership/fee required)
• Elsevier Science - full-text online (subscription/membership/fee required)
• OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center - full-text online (subscription/membership/fee required)
• Swets Information Services - full-text online (subscription/membership/fee required)

Subjects

• Adult
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
• Fascia
• Humans
• Male
• Mouth Floor
• Mouth Neoplasms
• Radial Artery
• Reconstructive Surgical Procedures
• Skin Transplantation
• Surgical Flaps

Similar articles

• Superficial dorsal artery of the forearm: case report and review of the literature. (2005-10-31)
• The ulnar fasciocutaneous free flap in head and neck reconstruction. (2002-12-03)
• The shamrock flap: a three-paddle radial forearm flap. (1990-10-09)
• The distally-based radial forearm free flap with valvulotomy of the cephalic vein; a preliminary report. (1990-05-25)
• An unusual anomaly of the radial artery with potential significance to the forearm free flap. Case report. (2002-09-10)
• Breast reconstruction by the free transverse gracilis (TUG) flap. (2003-12-15)
• Soft tissue reconstruction of the thumb with the dorsoradial forearm flap. (2013-01-23)
• Survival of a free radial forearm flap without venous return. (1991-03-15)
• A high bifurcation of the dorsal branch with dominant superficial palmar branch of the radial artery: a case report of an aberrant radial artery with traumatic aneurysm. (2011-06-17)

Authors

• Vyomesh Bhatt
• Jason Green
• Nicholas Grew

Publication date

2009-02-06

Journal

Journal topics

• Surgery, Oral
• Surgery, Plastic

Language

Eng.

Copyright

Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery : official publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery

Department of New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK. vyomeshb [at] yahoo.com

Release reference

J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2009 Mar;37(2):87-90

Related books

• Books of Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
• Books of Fascia
• Books of Mouth Floor
• Books of Mouth Neoplasms
• Books of Radial Artery
• Books of Reconstructive Surgical Procedures
• Books of Skin Transplantation
• Books of Surgery, Oral
• Books of Surgery, Plastic
• Books of Surgical Flaps