title: [Study on transplantation of anterolateral femoral skin flap with high site direct cutaneous artery].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the availability of transplantation of anterolateral femoral skin flap with absence of the first branch of musculocutaneous artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty cases of anterolateral femoral skin flap transplantation in the past 15 years were reviewed, to investigate the relationship between the outcome of the transplantation and the types, distribution, original point, diameter of blood vessels. Among the 160 cases, there were 10 cases, 6.3% in total, of skin flap transplantation with the pedicle of high site direct cutaneous femoral artery, ranging from 10 cm x 14 cm to 12 cm x 18 cm in size, applied to repair soft tissue defect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 149 cases, among the 160 cases, survived and all the 10 cases of femoral skin flap transplantation with high site anterolateral cutaneous artery survived.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The femoral skin flap with high site anterolateral cutaneous artery has good blood supply, larger size available, and easier operation. When the first branch of descending anterolateral femoral artery is absent, the femoral skin flap with high site anterolateral cutaneous artery is an optimal alternative.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou Guangdong, P.R. China 510515.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: L X
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*