Perforating arteries of the gluteal region: anatomic study.

Gluteal artery perforator flaps have gained popularity due to reliability, preservation of the muscle, versatility in flap design without restricting other flap options, and low donor-site morbidity. Today, free or local flaps based on the perforating arteries of the gluteal region are among the most commonly used procedures for the management of lumbosacral defects and autologous breast reconstruction. An anatomic study was carried out to investigate localization, dimension, and distribution of the perforator arteries in 16 gluteal regions of 8 formol-fixed cadavers. The total number of perforators in each gluteal region was 13-20 (mean 17 arteries). Mean vessel diameter and mean vessel length were 1.1 mm (range 0.7-1.7 mm) and 6.4 cm (range, 5.2-9.1), respectively. Topographic analysis of the perforators revealed that the gluteal region can be divided into 3 parts in terms of vessel density. The majority of the perforators were localized in superior zone, whereas the middle zone was documented to be the poorest region. Data derived from this analysis were also confirmed by individual analysis of each cadaver.