[Anatomical basis of gluteus maximus and application as a pedicled cover flap for pelvic tumor resections]

The resection of malignant bone tumors of the pelvis causes significant loss of substances making covering procedures difficult. The gluteus maximus pedicled flap allows some reconstructions, but its use in vascular sacrifice is not clearly established. The objective of our study was to study its vascularization in order to assess the possibility of vascular sacrifice during carcinological resection of a pelvic tumor.We first performed a vascular mapping of the gluteus maximus muscle using 3-dimensional (3D) models from CT angiography in patients with Leriche syndrome. These models were compared to a cadaveric dissection of 2 injected muscles. A second 3D modeling from postoperative scans was performed in patients who had a gluteus maximus flap after pelvic carcinological surgery.Ten patients with Leriche syndrome had a 3D model from their scanners. Three distinct arterial systems were identified. Seven patients had a flap from the gluteus maximus muscle, including 3 cases of an Inverted pedicled Hemi Gluteus maximus flap (HGI). According to the modeling, the richness of the vascular network would allow the sacrifice of the superior gluteal pedicle without compromising the viability of this flap.Our study made it possible to confirm the richness of the vascular network of the gluteus maximus muscle and to consider the theoretical possibility of sacrificing the superior gluteal pedicle without endangering an HGI pedicled muscle flap.