THE DELTOID MUSCLE FLAP - ANATOMICAL STUDIES AND CASE-REPORTS

Anatomical studies of the deltoid muscle were performed on 16 cadaver shoulders. The anatomy of the axillary nerve, the vascular pedicles, a nd the musculocutaneous perforators was assessed. These studies confir med that part of the deltoid muscle can be used as a vascularised flap to cover defects of the shoulder while leaving some viable functionin g muscle intact. We report the use of hemideltoid flaps to treat chron ic radionecrotic ulcers involving the shoulders of two patients. In th e first, the posterior part of the muscle was used as a local muscle f lap. In the second, the anterior part of the muscle was raised with ov erlying skin to form a musculocutaneous flap. The flaps remained heale d at one year follow-up. These soft tissue radionecrotic defects over the shoulder are an uncommon late complication of radiotherapy for bre ast cancer. Pedicled or free flaps are now recognised as the preferred methods of treatment.