Objective: To explore the anatomical characteristics of the anterolateral thigh perforator flap pedicled with oblique branch trunk of lateral circumflex femoral artery in the muscular septum and the clinical effect of this flap in repairing skin and soft tissue defects in the extremities. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. From December 2020 to April 2021, 59 patients with skin and soft tissue defects in the extremities admitted to the Department of Hand Surgery of Suzhou Ruihua Orthopaedic Hospital met the inclusion criteria, including 46 males and 13 females, aged 20 to 81 years. The wound area after debridement ranged from 8 cm×5 cm to 38 cm×20 cm. According to the condition of the wound, the perforators in the anterolateral femoral region on the unaffected side were located by color Doppler ultrasound. The anterolateral thigh perforator flap with the oblique branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery as the source artery was designed, and the wound was repaired by unilateral flap or series combination of bilateral flaps (with the area of unilateral flap ranging from 7 cm×5 cm to 37 cm×11 cm). The wound of the donor site was sutured directly. The following items were recorded, including the number of perforators in the anterolateral femoral region marked before operation, the course characteristics of oblique branch trunk of lateral circumflex femoral artery and its perforators, and the number, origin, and type of perforators observed during operation, the flap repair mode and the flap harvest time. After operation, the survival condition of the flap, the wound healing time in the recipient site, and the suture healing in the donor area were observed, and the recovery of the donor and recipient areas was followed up. At the last follow-up, the sensation function evaluated by sensory rating scale of British Medical Research Association and two-point discrimination of the area transplanted with flap were recorded, and the improved comprehensive curative effect evaluation scale of flap was used to evaluate the repair effect of the flap. Results: A total of 156 perforators were marked in the anterolateral femoral region before operation, and 144 perforators were observed during the operation, of which 98 came from the oblique branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery, and the first perforator of the oblique branch was the intermuscular septal perforator. Once formed, most oblique branch trunk of lateral circumflex femoral artery in the muscular septum could be divided into the deep branch and the superficial branch at the middle and upper 1/3 junction of the line between the anterior superior iliac spine and the lateral edge of the patella, the deep branch mainly ran in the muscle of vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis, and rarely developed the skin perforators, while the superficial branch mainly ran in the muscular septum between the rectus femoris and the vastus lateralis, and grew out the perforators to the proximal skin of the anterolateral femoral region. Fifty-six patients were repaired with unilateral flap and 3 patients with bilateral flap in series combination, with the harvesting time of the unilateral flap ranged from 9 to 99 min. Three patients developed arterial crisis within 48 hours after operation and survived after timely exploration; the flap of 1 patient developed necrosis 11 days after operation and was repaired by abdominal split-thickness skin graft; the other flaps survived smoothly. The wound healing time in the recipient area was 10 to 42 days after operation, and the sutures in the donor area healed well. During the follow-up of 6 to 10 months, 8 patients underwent thinning and plastic surgery 6 months after operation because of bloating in the flap transplantation area, while the other patients had a good shape of the flap transplantation area, with no deep tissue infection such as osteomyelitis, with soft texture, good elasticity, no pain, and good blood circulation; all the donor areas were left with linear scars, normal blood circulation in the distal extremities, no limitation of knee joint motion or quadriceps muscle strength. At the last follow-up, the sensation function was restored in the flap transplantation area of the affected limb, including 14 cases of S1 grade and 45 cases of S2 grade; there was only one point of two-point discrimination; the curative effect evaluation of flap repair included excellent in 24 cases, good in 35 cases, and general in 3 cases. Conclusions: The anterolateral thigh perforator flap pedicled with oblique branch trunk of lateral circumflex femoral artery in the muscular septum has the advantages of relatively concealed donor area, large cutting width, and simple operation during surgery. It protects the donor area to the greatest extent while repairing skin and soft tissue defects in the extremities, and is a useful supplement to the classic anterolateral thigh perforator flap.
目的： 探讨以肌间隔主干型旋股外侧动脉斜支为蒂的股前外侧穿支皮瓣的解剖学特点，以及采用该皮瓣修复四肢皮肤软组织缺损的临床效果。 方法： 采用回顾性观察性研究方法。2020年12月—2021年4月，苏州瑞华骨科医院收治符合入选标准的四肢皮肤软组织缺损患者59例，其中男46例、女13例，年龄20~81岁，清创后创面面积为8 cm×5 cm~38 cm×20 cm。根据创面情况，术前行彩色多普勒超声检查以定位健侧股前外侧区穿支，设计以旋股外侧动脉斜支为源动脉的股前外侧穿支皮瓣，行单侧皮瓣修复或双侧皮瓣串联修复（单侧皮瓣大小为7 cm×5 cm~37 cm×11 cm）；将供区创面直接拉拢缝合。记录术前标记股前外侧区穿支数量，术中观察到的旋股外侧动脉斜支主干与穿支走行特点以及穿支的数量、来源、类型；记录皮瓣修复方式、皮瓣切取时间；术后观察皮瓣成活情况、受区创面愈合时间、供区缝合口愈合情况；随访供受区恢复情况，于末次随访时，记录移植皮瓣处采用英国医学研究会的感觉分级量表评价的感觉功能、两点辨别觉，采用改良的皮瓣综合疗效评价表评定皮瓣修复疗效。 结果： 术前共在股前外侧区标记穿支156条，术中共观察到穿支144条，其中98条来自旋股外侧动脉斜支，斜支第1穿支均为肌间隔穿支；肌间隔主干型旋股外侧动脉斜支发出后，在髂前上棘与髌骨外侧缘的连线中1/3与上1/3交界处多数可分为深支与浅支，深支主要走行于股中间肌和股外侧肌肌肉内，较少发出皮穿支；浅支多走行于股直肌与股外侧肌肌间隔内，且发出穿支至股前外侧区近端皮肤。56例患者行单侧皮瓣修复，3例患者行双侧皮瓣串联修复，单侧皮瓣切取时间为9~99 min。3例患者皮瓣术后48 h内发生动脉危象，经及时探查后成活；1例患者术后11 d皮瓣发生坏死，后行腹部刃厚皮片移植修复；其余皮瓣均顺利成活。受区创面愈合时间为术后10~42 d，供区缝合口均愈合良好。随访6~10个月，8例患者因移植皮瓣处臃肿于术后6个月行修薄整形术，其余患者移植皮瓣处外形佳、无骨髓炎等深部组织感染、质地柔软、弹性好、无疼痛且血运良好；供区均遗留线性瘢痕，肢体远端血运正常，膝关节活动度及股四头肌肌力无受限。末次随访时，患肢移植皮瓣处感觉功能恢复达S1级者14例、S2级者45例，两点辨别觉均仅有1个点，皮瓣修复疗效评定：优者24例、良者35例、可者3例。 结论： 以肌间隔主干型旋股外侧动脉斜支为蒂的股前外侧穿支皮瓣，具有供区相对隐蔽、可切取宽度大、术中操作简便等优点，在修复四肢皮肤软组织缺损的同时最大限度地保护了供区，是对经典股前外侧穿支皮瓣的有益补充。.