THE ARTERIES OF THE DORSALIS PEDIS FLAP / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

The Arteria dorsalis pedis of 50 lower limbs of adult Chinese cadavers were injected with the chloroform solution of red pigment.Then the cutaneous arteries of the Ar- teria dorsalis pedis were dissected,observed and measured under an operating microscope. The arteria dorsalis pedis was divided into proximal,intermediate and distal portions. In all cases this artery gives off direct cutaneous arteries which are more concentrated in the proximal and distal portions. In the proximal portion,the cutaneous arteries are constantly provided with larger caliber and longer length of extension.The percentage of the presence of the cutaneous arteries of the distal portion is rather high,yet both their caliber and length of extension are smaller than the branches of the proximal portion. There are certain anastomoses between the neighboring cutaneous arteries.Most of the cutaneous arteries run along the course of the medial dorsal cutaneous nerves.This nerve may be considered as a guide to find those cutaneous arteries. The caliber of the most cutaneous arteries is large enough for microsurgical vaso- anastomosis.Thus the data of this article may be helpful to clinicians who want to make a vascularized free dorsalis pedis skin flap.