| Objective:The large area soft tissue deficiency of limbs is a common and stubborn disease in handsurgery and plastic surgery. A microsurgical anatomic research was promoted on 10 fresh cadaveric specimens by observing the start and the end point, the course, the branches, the outer diameter, the accompanying vein, the location of body surface, and the blood-supply area of the posterior femoral cutaneous branch of the third perforating artery(3PA) to provide anatomic basis for designning the new free flap with this branch.Methods:10 fresh cadaveric lower limbs were injected through the femoral artery using the red latex and stored in the freezer box. Before dissection, the specimens were left at the room temperature (10～15℃) for 8-10 hours. These speciments were dissected under operating loupe to observe the start and end point, the course, the branches, the outer diameter, the accompanying vein, the location of the body surface, and the blood-supply area of the 3PA. The results were analysised in statistics method, and design a new free flap with the 3PA.Results:The 3PA was found in 10 specimens (100%), and it arose from the profunda femoris artery. The distance between the start point of the 3PA and the level of the linea poplitea was 117.65±4.66 mm, and the outer diameter of the start point of 3PA was 1.658±0.15 mm, it passed along spatium intermusculare of semimembranosus and biceps femoris, and stretch over or across the sciatic nerve, The 3PA divided into ascending and descending branches. The ascending branch became the perforator artery,80% of these branches passed along spatium intermusculare of semimembranosus and biceps femoris, and 20% of them perforated the short head of the biceps femoris. The outer diameter of the start point of ascending branch was 0.86±0.06 mm, and that of the descending branch was 0.826±0.05 mm. After the perforator artery perforating the deep fascia, it became the cutaneous branch, the distance between the start point of the cutaneous branch and the level of the linea poplitea was 110.39±4.82 mm, and the outer diameter of the start point of cutaneous branch was 0.73±0.06 mm. The cutaneous branch divided into ascending and descending branches, The outer diameter of the start point of descending branch was 0.602±0.06 mm, and it anastomosed with the ascending branch of popliteo-posterior intermediate cutaneous artery(PPICA). The outer diameter of the start point of descending branch was 0.63±0.05 mm. and it anastomosed with the descending branch of the second perforating artery of profunda femoris artery.It was detected with microdissection that the length of artery pedicle between cutaneous branch of 3PA and 3PA was 107.89±11.31 mm. Ascending and descending branches of the cutaneous branch of 3PA supply blood to a scope with a major axis of 257.90±10.36 mm, and a minor axis of 89.90±10.10 mm. The axis line of the flap is on the mid-line of the posterior thigh. The cutaneous branch of 3PA was accompanied by two veins, which joined the accompanying vein of the 3PA and finally joined the deep femoral vein. The outer diameter of the medial accompanying vein was 0.63±0.09 mm, and that of the lateral accompanying vein was 0.63±0.09 mm. The outer diameter of the accompanying vein of 3PA was 1.12±0.22 mm.Conclusion:According to the experimental data, A new free flap can be disigned with the 3PA as the pedicle. The axises point of the free flap are on the level of 110.00 mm proximal to the linea poplitea, the axis line of the flap is on the mid-line of the posterior thigh, and the supply scope of the flap is 26 cm×9 cm. The free flap can be a better choice to be used to repair soft tissue deficiency of limbs.
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