RESUMO
The objective of this work was to study the blood supply of the posterior aspect of the leg and the soleus muscle. Material and methods: The present study was done on twelve cadavers [five preserved, five fresh and two stillborn]. Both femoral arteries of each cadaver were injected with a mixture of lead oxide and red latex in equal proportions The skin of the posterior calf was reflected to visualize the blood vessels supplying it. The soleus muscle was dissected to identify the arterial pedicles supplying it. The blood supply of the skin of the posterior calf was found to arise from three sources: the axial, the septal perforating arleries and the midposterior perforators. A constant axial artery was the saphenous ariery while the sural artery was a more variable artery. The septal perforating arteries were arranged in four approximale vertical lines or rows The midposterior perforaiors were arising from the vesseis within the gastrocnemius muscle. The soleus muscle got seven arierial pedicles, four pedicles from the peroneal artery and three arterial pedicles were arising from the posterior tibial artery. In all studied cases, the skin of the posterior calf was not supplied by vessels arising from or passing through the soleus muscle. There are logical reasons for advising excision of the soieus muscle from the long posterior flap during below-knee amputation. The use of the myoplastic flap that contains the soleus muscle should be avoided