An anatomic examination of the suprascapular flap

To investigate the potential utility of a suprascapular flap, the authors e xamined dissected cadavers to identify the ramification of the suprascapula r artery, and directly injected 2.5% patent blue dye to observe the distrib ution of its cutaneous perforators. Results indicate that a suprascapular f lap is not practicable. The branching pattern of the suprascapular artery f rom the subclavian artery varies widely, making dissection of the vessels h ighly problematic. Moreover, no constant presence of cutaneous perforators from the artery could be identified in either the suprascapular fossa or th e shoulder.