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Background The medial sural (medial gastrocnemius) perforator flap is a thin flap with a long pedicle. It has tremendous potential for applications in a variety of soft-tissue defects. We aimed to further clarify the vascular anatomy of the medial sural region and establish a safe approach for elevation of this flap. Methods Ten fresh cadaveric lower limbs were injected and used in this study. We identified the locations and courses of the medial sural artery perforators and correlated them to anatomic landmarks. Results The medial sural artery divides into two branches, a medial and lateral branch. Correspondingly, musculocutaneous perforators supplying the overlying skin were oriented in two parallel vertical rows, along the course of the lateral or medial branch of the medial sural artery. Two to six perforators were located 6 cm to 22.5 cm from the popliteal crease. Perforators from the lateral row, nearer the posterior midline, were generally larger. In most cases, a large perforator with a superficial, straight intramuscular course could be identified a mean of 10 cm distal to the popliteal crease and an average of 2 cm from the posterior midline. Based on the above findings, we successfully used this flap in five clinical cases. Conclusion Perforators of the medial sural artery were arranged in a medial and a lateral row. Use of perforators from the lateral row, nearer the posterior midline, is preferable as these are usually larger in size. A consistent major perforator could always be identified in all specimens. With increased safety and confidence in flap harvesting, the medial sural artery perforator flap may find wider clinical applications. Clinical question: Therapeutic Level of Evidence: IV

This article details an algorithm we used for selection of recipient vessels in free tissue transfer to the head and neck. Eighty-eight consecutive free flaps to the head and neck were performed in 85 patients. The superior thyroid was the commonest recipient artery used (61%). The facial artery, used in 14% of our cases, is the choice vessel in instances where neck dissection is not performed. In these cases, we have to access the neck separately for recipient vessels and it can be exposed easily via a short (3-cm) incision. The superficial temporal artery (11%) is our choice vessel for patients with previous neck dissection or radiotherapy as it is well outside the previous operative or irradiated field. Other vessels such as the transverse cervical and end-to-side anastomosis to the carotid artery were also used when appropriate. Recipient vein selection depends primarily on the selected artery. Corresponding veins and large branches of the internal jugular vein (IJV) in the vicinity of the selected artery are preferred. When these are exhausted, the external jugular vein and end-to-side anastomosis to the IJV are considered. We found this algorithm to be reliable in identifying the appropriate vessels in all cases.

Variations of the distally based sural artery flap have been used in the literature with varying success rates. This article stresses the axiality of this flap based on the sural nerve and the short saphenous vein. Forty distally based sural artery flaps were used for a variety of defects in the distal leg. In the proximal leg, the groove between the medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius muscle was explored to include the subfacial part of the medial sural nerve with the flap. The subfascial part of the nerve can consistently be included with the flap and gives off cutaneous supply to the tip of the flap to increase reliability of the distal part of the flap. The short saphenous vein should be harvested with an additional length to allow for supercharging or intermittent bleeding in the event of flap congestion. With this approach our success rate with this flap was 98%. To maximize the reliability of the distally based sural artery flap, the sural nerve and short saphenous vein must be included with the flap along its entire length.