Microsurgical anatomy of the lateral skin flap of the leg.

The blood supply, venous drainage, and innervation of the lateral skin flap of the leg were studied in 52 fresh specimens by dissection, angiography, and selected injection of cutaneous arteries with india ink. This flap has a long vascular pedicle that contains the peroneal artery and vein and their branches. The diameter of the peroneal artery is about 3.7 mm. There are 4 to 7 cutaneous branches that penetrate the posterior intermuscular septum and widely anastomose with each other in the subcutaneous tissue. The skin area supplied by the peroneal artery measures approximately 32 X 15 cm. There are 2 sets of veins in the flap: (1) 2 deep veins, the peroneal veins, are about 4 mm in diameter, and (2) a superficial vein, the small saphenous vein, is about 3.3 mm in diameter. The cutaneous nerve is the lateral sural cutaneous nerve. This new lateral skin flap of the leg may be used either as a free flap or as a cutaneous flap and has been proven successful clinically.