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Cutaneous perforators of the arm and anatomical landmarks for defining the flap donor sites

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Abstract

Purpose

There are few studies searching for possible perforator flap donor sites on the arm. This study aimed to identify the locations of cutaneous perforators of the arm according to anatomical landmarks.

Methods

Thirteen Thiel-fixed and latex-filled upper extremities of bodies donated to science were used. The distance between the acromion and medial or lateral epicondyle of the humerus was defined as the Y-axis, and the axis that cut the Y-axis perpendicularly through the epicondyles of the humerus was identified as the X-axis. The Y-axis was then divided into three parts Cutaneous arterial perforators were found using surgical dissection. The locations of the perforators were determined according to the defined lines and regions.

Results

On the lateral side, there were 6.00 ± 2.08 perforators per arm, of which 56.4% were septocutaneous and 43.6% muscular. In all extremities, with in the distal 1/3 of the lateral arm, there were 1–4 radial collateral artery-based perforators. The mean distance of these perforators to the Y-axis was 1.16 ± 0.53 cm. On the medial side, there were 5.05 ± 1.44 perforators per arm, which were all septocutaneous perforators. In 85% of the extremities, within the middle 1/3 of the medial arms, there were 1–2 superior ulnar collateral artery-based perforators. The mean distance of these perforators to the Y-axis was 1.53 ± 0.61 cm.

Conclusion

There are always perforators from the radial collateral artery with in the distal third of the lateral arm. Within the middle third of the medial arm, it is usually possible to find a perforator from the superior ulnar collateral artery.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the donors and their families for their contribution to education and science.

Funding

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Burak Kaya

  2. Medical Design Application and Research Center (MEDITAM), Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Burak Kaya

  3. Institute of Anatomy and Clinical Morphology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany

    Georg Feigl

  4. Institute of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    Georg Feigl

  5. Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Serdal Kenan Kose

  6. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Nihal Apaydin

  7. Department of Multidisciplinary Neuroscience, Institute of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Nihal Apaydin

  8. Brain Research Center (AU-BAUM), Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Nihal Apaydin

Authors
  1. Burak Kaya
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  2. Georg Feigl
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  3. Serdal Kenan Kose
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  4. Nihal Apaydin
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Contributions

BK: Project development, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing. GF: Data collection, manuscript editing. SKK: Data analysis. NA: Project development, data analysis, manuscript editing.

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Correspondence to Burak Kaya.

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All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Conducting scientific studies on cadavers or cadaveric body parts does not require ethical approval in our university.

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Kaya, B., Feigl, G., Kose, S.K. et al. Cutaneous perforators of the arm and anatomical landmarks for defining the flap donor sites. Surg Radiol Anat 44, 1079–1089 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-022-02976-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-022-02976-x

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