The Latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap, one of the versatile myocutaneous flaps, can be used as a rotation, island or even free flap to reconstruction of the breast, abdomen, chest wall, myelomeingocele, head and neck, back, and upper arm.
the anatomy of the flap and the specific size, pattern and location of the primary vascular pedicle are important in the wide and varied reconstructive applications of this flap. Therefore we performed 18 dissections using 9 Korean cadavers and measured the mean length and diameters of the vascular pedicles in the latissimus dorsi and adjacent area.
The results are summerized as follows:
1. The mean length of the vascular pedicle from subscapular artery and vein at origin to thoracodorsal artery and vein before distribution to the latissimus dorsi is 11.9cm.
2. There are consistant T-shaped relationship among subscapular, thoracodorsal, circumflex scapular arteries and serratus arterial branch.
3. Large serratus arterial branch is arised from the thoracodorsal artery with 4.2cm in distance from origin of the thoracodorsal artery and 1.0mm in diameter.
4. Vascular structures at the latissimus dorsi are bifurcated into lateral and medial intramuscular bundles.
5. The major pedicle to the latissimus dorsi is the thoracodorsal artery and vein and will from independent myocutaneous territory, so the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap is used as a reliable one, either as a pedicle flap or as a free flap without delay procesure.
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