THE VASCULATURE OF THE PERONEAL TISSUE TRANSFER

Peroneal vascularized composite-tissue transfer has many useful applications and advantages. An anatomic study of the peroneal artery and vein and their branches was carried out on 80 adult cadaver legs. The number of cutaneous branches averaged 4.8 ± 1.4 per leg. The length of the cutaneous branches averaged 5.4 ± 1.5 cm. The external diameters of cutaneous branches at the skin distribution site were 0.6 ± 0.2 mm for the artery and 0.8 ± 0.3 mm for the vein. The communicating branches were branched at anterior or posterior tibial vessels 6.1 ± 2.4 cm proximal to the lateral malleolus. The range of rotation of the island flap when transposed proximally was 14.3 ± 3.3 cm proximal from the head of the fibula, and when transposed distally, the range of rotation was 16.9 ± 5.3 cm distally. © 1990 American Society of Plastic Surgeons.