The present study was conducted to assess the presence of the inferior external pudendal artery (IEPA), its diameter and course, and the cutaneous area nourished, and to support its use as an arterial pedicle in thigh flaps. Fifty thighs from 25 recent cadavers were dissected. IEPAs were found in 96% of the specimens, all arising from the femoral artery. Their average diameter was 1.4 mm, and the distance from point of origin to line ‘a’ averaged 5.6 cm. IEPAs appeared in front of the femoral vein in all cases and behind the great saphenous vein in 90% of cases. IEPAs ran medial and inferior courses, passing before the adductor magnus and pectineal muscles. Dye injection into the artery demonstrated that genital and anterosuperomedial areas of the thighs of the same side were nourished cutaneous territory. These anatomical characteristics of the IEPA support the raising of a septofasciocutaneous flap at the anterior superomedial aspect of the thigh.
DouglasB.. One-stage reconstruction for traumatic denudation of penis and scrotum.Ann Surg1951; 133: 889.
2.
HirshowitzB., MosconaR., KaufmanT., PniniA.. One-stage reconstruction of the scrotum following Fournier's syndrome using a probable arterial flap.Plast Reconstr Surg1980; 66: 60812.
3.
HirshowtizB., PeretzB.A.. Bilateral superomedial thigh flaps for primary reconstruction of scrotum and vulva.Ann Plast Surg1982; 8: 3906.
4.
KaplanI.. A rapid method for constructing a funcional sensitive penis.Br J Plast Surg1971; 24: 3424.
5.
TiwariI.N., SethH.P., MehdirattaK.S.. Reconstrution of the scrotum by thigh flaps.Plast Reconstr Surg1980; 66: 6057.
6.
BalakrishananC.. Scrotal avulsion: A new technique of reconstruction by split skin graft.Br J Plast Surg1956; 9: 38.
7.
CaseyR.P., DarsonvalV., SimonsG., GrecoJ.M.. Reparation par lambeau cutanéo-aponévrotique de cuisse d'une importante avulsion tégumentaire périnéo-scrotale: A propos d'un cas.Ann Chir Plast Esthet1985; 30: 17580.
8.
MattiB.A., CrawfordB.S.. A supero-medial thigh flap for urethral reconstruction in epispadias and hypospadias.Br J Plast Surg1985; 38: 4650.
9.
RamosR.R., AndrewsJ.M., FerreiraL.M.. A gracillis myocutaneous flap for reconstrution of the scrotum.Br J Plast Surg1984; 37: 1714.
MortonK.E., DaviesD., DewhurstJ.. The use of the fasciocutaneous flap in vaginal reconstrution.Br J Obstet Gynaecol1986; 93: 9703.
12.
WangT.N., WhetzelT., MathesS.J., VasconezL.O.. A fasciocutaneous flap for vaginal and perineal reconstruction.Plast Reconstr Surg1987; 80: 95103.
13.
PontènB.. The fasciocutaneous flap: its use in soft tissue defects of the lower leg.Br J Plast Surg1981; 34: 21520.
14.
Har-ShaiY., HirshowitzB., MarcovichA., EliacharI., PeretzB.A.. Blood supply and innervation of the supermedial thigh flap employed in one-stage reconstruction of the scrotum and vulva – an anatomical study.Ann Plast Surg1984; 13: 50410.
15.
Dubreuil-ChambardelL.. Variations des artères du pelvis et du membre infèrieur. In: Dubreuil-ChambardelL., ed. Traité des variations du système artèriel, 1. Paris: Masson, 1925: 13863.
16.
FalconeC.. Arterie della grande circolazione. Aorta. In: FalconeC.. Trattado di anatomia umana.Milano: Villadi, 1931: 523637.
17.
KopschF.V.. Lehrbuch und atlas der anatomie des menschen, 14th edn.Leipzig: Thieme, 1933: 195457.
18.
La FalceO.L.. Contribuição para o estudo anatômico das artérias pudendas externas no homem.Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, 1986. (Masters thesis)
19.
PattenB.M.. The cardiovascular system. In: SchafferJ.P., 10th edn.Morris Human Anatomy: A Complete Systematic Treatise.Philadelphia: Blakiston, 1942: 582785.
20.
Pereira-GuimarãesJ.. Tratado de anatomia descriptiva.Rio de Janeiro: H. Laermmert, 1894: 331634.
21.
PoirierP.. Angèiologie: coeur et artères. In: PoirierP., CharpyA.. Traité de anatomie humaine.2nd edn.Paris: Masson, 1902: 547850.
