Surgical anatomy of the pectoral flaps, their importance in head and neck reconstruction

Abstract

The pectoralis major is a broad muscle that originates from the medial part of the clavicle, anterior surface of the sternum, from the cartilages of all the true ribs and from the aponeurosis of the abdominal external oblique muscle. The study was conducted on 10 cadavers (7 male and 3 female). These specimens were dissected and examined to study the gross anatomical characteristics of the pectoralis major muscle. The dimensions of the pectoralis major muscle and its surface area were measured in all the cadavers. The branching pattern of the thoracoacromial vessels was recorded. The pedicle length and caliper were measured using Vernier calipers. In all twenty dissected specimens, the pectoral and deltoid branches of the thoracoacomial artery were identified. The average size of the elevated flap of the pectoralis major muscle was 10 cm×6.5 cm. In this study, the average diameter of the thoacoacomial artery was 2.3 mm, and along its course, the thoracacomial artery gave rise to two terminal branches the pectoral and deltoid arteries that supply the pectoralis major muscle and the surrounding structures. The average length of the deltoid pedicle was 6.8 cm and the average length of the pectoral pedicle was 7.5 cm. The current study focuses on the anatomical features of the pectoralis major muscle and its blood supply to increase the success rate of operations in clinical practice.