Anterolateral thigh flap: A review of 168 cases

The anterolateral thigh flap based on the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral vessel is one of the musculocutaneous or septocutaneous flaps in the thigh. The descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral vessel has either perforating branches or direct cutaneous branches from t he intermuscular space to the anterolateral femoral skin. Since 1983, we ha ve transferred 168 anterolateral thigh flaps for reconstruction of old burn scars, infected wounds, carcinoma excisions, for coverage of open bone fra cture of the lower leg, and for congenital diseases. One hundred fifty-two cases were free flaps. The other 16 cases were pedicled flaps. The skin bra nches were divided into four types in our clinical series: musculocutaneous perforators (135/168 [80.4%]); intermuscular cutaneous perforators (16/168 [9.5%]); direct cutaneous branches (14/168 [8.3%]); and tiny cutaneous per forators (3/168 [1.8%]). The results were satisfactory. Only one case resul ted in a failure due to tiny cutaneous branches. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.