The cutaneous blood supply of the neck: relevance to incision planning and surgical reconstruction

https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-1226(85)90051-7Get rights and content

Abstract

Previous descriptions of the blood supply of the neck have been contradictory. Neck dissections were performed on 17 adult cadavers after perfusion with radio-opaque microfil silicone rubber compound. In four cadavers cervical incisions were created and flaps elevated prior to perfusion to help demonstrate vascular pathways.

In all cadavers myocutaneous perforators were seen passing from the sternocleidomastoid, strap muscles, and trapezius to supply the dermal-subdermal plexus. Also, there were consistently identifiable branches of the superior thyroid, posterior auricular, occipital, facial and transverse cervical arteries, which supply both the platysmal vascular plexus and the overlying dermal-subdermal plexus. The dermal-subdermal plexus is continuous across the midline and this contralateral pathway is supplied chiefly from branches of the superior thyroid artery, facial artery, and myocutaneous perforators of the strap muscles. This information may be useful in the planning of cervical incisions and the design of platysma myocutaneous flaps.

Reference (22)

  • ColemanJ.J. et al.

    Platysma musculocutaneous flap: clinical and anatomic considerations in head and neck reconstruction

    American Journal of Surgery

    (1982)
  • FutrellJ.W. et al.

    Platysma myocutaneous flap for intra-oral reconstruction

    American Journal of Surgery

    (1978)
  • AttiJ.N.

    A single transverse incision for radical neck dissection

    Surgery

    (1957)
  • BabcockW. et al.

    Neck incisions in block dissection

    Archives of Otololaryngology

    (1966)
  • BeckerG.D.

    The extended single transverse neck incision for complete resections

    Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics

    (1979)
  • CadenatH. et al.

    Lambeaux cervicaux et cervico-dorsaux: vascularisation: applications chirurgicales

    Revue de Stomatologie et de Chirurgie Maxillofaciale

    (1978)
  • CrileG.

    Excision of cancer of the head and neck, with special reference to the plan of dissection based on 132 patients

    Journal of the American Medical Association

    (1906)
  • EllisM.

    Surgical techniques following irradiation of the neck

    Journal of Laryngology

    (1963)
  • FreelandA.P. et al.

    The vascular supply of the cervical skin with reference to incision planning

    Laryngoscope

    (1975)
  • FreundH.R.

    The Principles of Head and Neck Surgery

    (1967)
  • HetterG.P.

    Neck incisions relative to the cutaneous vasculature of the neck

    Archives of Otolaryngology

    (1972)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text