The blood supply to the greater trochanter.

The blood supply to the greater trochanter was investigated in adult rabbits using a hydrogen washout technique. The control blood flow rate of the greater trochanter averaged 13.8 ml/minute per 100 g of tissue. Stripping of the origin of the vastus lateralis muscle did not cause significant decrease of blood flow rate. Blood flow rate was significantly decreased to 10.4 ml/minute per 100 g of tissue after an anterior trochanteric slide osteotomy. Surgical dissection of the proximal soft tissues including the gluteus medius and minimus tendons from the greater trochanter caused significant decrease of blood flow rate to 4.72 ml/minute per 100 g of tissue. The addition of surgical dissection of the proximal soft tissues to anterior trochanteric slide caused a complete arrest of blood flow in the greater trochanter. These results indicate that the greater trochanter receives >2/3 of its blood supply for the extraosseous vascular system in a rabbit model.