title: The inframammary island flap: anatomical basis.
abstract: The contribution of the thoracic internal artery to the breast's blood supply was studied in 24 fresh breasts. The second perforating artery was the largest in 20 breasts (86.3%). This artery supplies the upper portion of the breast, the nipple-areolar complex, and the subjacent anteromedial region. On the basis of these anatomical findings, we propose a new cutaneous island flap raised from the redundant skin that is normally discarded in reduction mammoplasty. The use of this flap is indicated in breast and thoracic wall reconstruction. A clinical case of such reconstruction is reported.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anatomie, UFR Biomedicale des Saints-Peres, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bertelli
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: do Valle Pereira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001940:Breast / Q000098:blood supply; D002056:Burns; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013895:Thoracic Arteries