Blood supply of the tensor fasciae latae muscle.

The tensor fasciae latae (TFL) muscle has been successfully harvested as a myocutaneous flap in reconstructive surgery. Reports on the vascular supply of this muscle, however, are incomplete or inconclusive. Therefore the arterial pattern was examined by dissection in 100 injected human cadaveric specimens. It was observed that whereas 67 muscles were supplied exclusively by a single vessel derived from the ascending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral (LCF) artery, 13 were supplied by a secondary vessel derived from the same branch, while 20 muscles were supplied by two vessels, the larger one arising as before and the smaller from the descending branch of the LCF. Our observations reveal that although the majority of TFL muscles are clinically Type I (one vascular pedicle) according to the classification of Mathes and Nahai (1981), 20% are actually Type II (major and minor vascular pedicles).