OBJECTIVE: To explore the reasons of poor sensation recovery after anterolateral thigh flap (ALTF) transplantation and to improve the design and sensation reconstruction of ALTF. METHODS: Lower limbs from 21 adult cadavers were chosen, and the lateral femoral cutaneous nerves (LFCN) were dissected. Their courses, shape, distribution and anatomic variation were observed, the distance from original sites of LFCN's posterior and anterior branches to the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) were measured, and the external diameter of their main trunks,after piercing out from the inferior margin of inguinal ligament or sending out their posterior branches and their anterior branches, were measured. RESULTS: The plane which the posterior branches sent out from the LFCN located at 4.8 (0~16.9) cm below the ASIS. The plane which the anterior branches sent out from the LFCN located at 14.2 (6.7~24.1) cm below the ASIS. There were 6 branches of the LFCN, namely ordinary three branches (9/21), high-level posterior branch (5/21), posterior branch absent (3/21), anterior branch absent (1/21), tiny branch, (2/21) and LFCN absent (1/21). The section of the LFCN was oblate, the external diameter of the LFCN,s main trunk after piercing out from the inferior margin of inguinal ligament or sending out its posterior branch and its anterior branch was 2.68 (1.18-4.52) mm, 2.18 (0.80-4.10) mm and 1.63 (0.44-2.60) mm, respectively. CONCLUSION Poor sensation recovery after ALTF transplantation is due to anatomic variation of the posterior branch of the LFCN. The sensory recovery of ALTF may be improved if the 2/3 low to median part of the anterolateral thigh and the main trunk of the LFCN or its plane before sending out the anterior branch is chosen for anastomosis.
Cadaver ; Female ; Humans ; Ilium ; anatomy & histology ; Inguinal Canal ; anatomy & histology ; Male ; Skin ; innervation ; Surgical Flaps ; innervation ; Thigh ; innervation

OBJECTIVE: To provide anatomic evidence for choosing medial calcaneal nerve(MCN ) as recipient cutaneous nerve to rebuild heel sensation. METHODS: We chose 20 adult cadavers' lower limbs, dissected the MCNs, observed their original sites, shapes, courses and distribution, and measured the perpendicular distance from original sites of MCNs from tibial nerve, original sites of their branches to the tip of medial malleolus, and the external diameters of their main trunks and branches. RESULTS: The frequency of the MCN was 95% in this array. All the MCNs arose from the tibial nerve at 3.3 cm up the horizontal plane of the tip of medial malleolus. They sent out anterior branches and posterior branches from 0.3 cm below the horizontal plane of the tip of medial malleolus on average. The anterior branch dominated the cutaneous sensation of the anterior part of the medial calcaneal and heel weight loading field, while the posterior branch dominated the sensation of the posterior and median part. The shape of MCNs, main trunks, anterior branches and posterior branches was like circular cylinder. At the origination, the external diameter of the MCN, the anterior branch and the posterior branch was 1.58, 1.13 and 0.90 mm on average, respectively. CONCLUSION The anatomical position of MCN is relatively constant, and its external diameter is suitable. The initiation is not close to the heel weight loading area. Its anatomic characteristics meet the requirements of sensation recovery of the heel, especially the heel weight loading field.
Adult ; Cadaver ; Calcaneus ; innervation ; Heel ; innervation ; Humans ; Peripheral Nerves ; anatomy & histology ; Tibial Nerve ; anatomy & histology