Preoperative angiographic landmarking of the gluteus maximus muscle and overlying skin using Patent Blue V

Use of a gluteus musculocutaneous flap is the most reliable technique for s urgical repair of sacral ulcers. Surgery could be ideally performed when th e flap is designed using on ly the upper or the lower half of the glutens m aximus muscle depending on the superior gluteal artery or the inferior glut eal artery, respectively. The authors have developed a technique for preope rative demonstration of the vascular supply to both muscle and overlying sk in from a single gluteal artery using superselective catheterization and ar terial administration of a dye (Patent Blue V). This technique facilitates the surgical procedure but assessment of its usefulness will require furthe r evaluation.