Applied anatomy of the fasciocutaneous branch of the third perforator artery of the deep femoral artery.

A study of the anatomy of the fasciocutaneous branch of the third perforator artery of the deep femoral artery was performed to help the elaboration of a fasciocutaneous flap for the reconstruction of skin and subcutaneous and deep fascia of the knee and popliteal region. Forty thighs in 27 fresh cadavers were dissected. In all of the thighs, the third perforator artery was found to arise from the deep femoral artery and reach the posterior aspect of the thigh after perforating the adductor magnus muscle. At that point it was also found that the third perforator artery gives off a branch that emerges through the intermuscular septum between the vast lateral muscle and the long head of the biceps femoral muscle, then crosses the posterior cutaneous nerve and moves directly on to perforate the deep fascia and then to bifurcate into two other branches: one ascending and one descending. The cutaneous area of the flap of the thigh's posterior region, nourished by the fasciocutaneous branch, was evaluated through the injection of dye. Dying of the upper medial, middle medial, lower medial and lower lateral areas of the flap was not successful in all of the dissected thighs. Nevertheless, the upper lateral and the middle lateral areas were dyed successfully in all 40 dissected thighs of the 27 cadavers.