Analysis of Variation in Anatomy of Lower Limb Vasculature and Implications for Free Fibula Flap by Color Doppler Imaging

Abstract

Background The free fibula flap (FFF) has proved to be an adequate adjunct tool in the reconstruction of defects following cancer ablation. Although various investigation tools in the past have been proved to be adequate to study the blood supply of the various trunks of arteries, for the survival of graft, the color Doppler flow study (CDF) can be done for the accurate examination of various perforators for the same in the lower limbs prior to its harvest. Materials and Methods 40 patients were included in the study and were examined for free fibula flap tissue transfer via color Doppler study for the lower limb perforators. Results In the study, the perforators that are musculocutaneous, septocutaneous and septomusculocutaneous were detected in 80 legs that were examined and all of them had adequate diameter to justify the fact that the graft can be taken for harvesting, except for only two cases where it was found that they were hypoplastic. Conclusion CDF can be a reliable and informative tool in patients planned for free fibula tissue transfer. Also, the skin perforators can be mapped, so as to determine skin paddle inclusion.