Myocutaneous vascular territory of the thoracoacromial artery. A topographical and morphometric study of the arterial vascularization of the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap

In order to clarify the vascularization of the pectoralis major muscle by the pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial artery, morphometric investigations and selective injection studies of the vessel were performed. A comparison with the anatomical orientation points clinically used for locating the vessel and its course confirms that the origin of the artery is at a constant spot at half the sternoacromial distance; the main vessel axis, however, deviates considerably from the clinically used acromioxiphoid axis in lateral direction. The lumen of the thoracoacromial artery has a range of more than 150% of the smallest vessel. Atherosclerotic alterations are not the reason for this variety but only an additional handicap for the vessel capacity. Two types of muscle-perforating arteries were found, and the cutaneous area of blood supply was defined.