Dissertation committee:
1. Θεόδωρος Τρουπής, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Ανατομίας,Ιατρική Σχολή,ΕΚΠΑ
2. Παναγιώτης Σκανδαλάκης, Καθηγητής Ανατομίας,Ιατρική Σχολή,ΕΚΠΑ
3. Ευάγγελος Κοτσιομύτης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Ανατομίας,Ιατρική Σχολή,ΕΚΠΑ
4. Βασίλειος Πρωτογέρου, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Ανατομίας, Ιατρική Σχολή,ΕΚΠΑ
5. Δημήτριος Βλαχοδημητρόπουλος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Ιατροδικαστικής και Τοξικολογίας, Ιατρική Σχολή,ΕΚΠΑ
6. Νικόλαος Κοτσίνας Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Ιατροδικαστικής και Τοξικολογίας, Ιατρική Σχολή,ΕΚΠΑ
7. Αθανάσιος Κοτσίνας, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής Ιστολογίας και Εμβρυολογίας, Ιατρική Σχολή,ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Clinical interest on the flaps of the superficial back muscles has always been a challenging matter. The flaps of these muscles have been used for many years in the plastic and reconstructive surgery and with the developments in the field of microsurgery they tend to become some common flaps in the everyday practice. Furthermore their use has been proved not only as pedicles for the flaps, but as well as recipient vessels for free flaps in the area.
Despite that, data on the morphometry and the variations of the arteries supplying these muscles are lacking. To investigate the subject authors performed a anatomical study on 40 adult fresh and embalmed Caucasian cadavers and examined the diameters and the variations of the blood vessels that supply this group of muscles and are used as pedicles.
Our results on arteries dimensions and variations did not differ significantly from those of the literature regarding the latissimus dorsi. However although the variations of the blood vessels of the trapezius have been extensively discussed in the literature are similar to our results, not many studies have been performed regarding the size of the vessels.. Therefore this study provides valuable figures in this field with an extensive amount of cadaveric dissections.
Finally we performed an extensive literature review so to place our results in an anatomic, embryologic and especially clinical context. We believe that our results add knowledge that are valuable not only for the blood vessels of the area but also for the use of the muscles and the vessels in reconstructive surgery.
Keywords:
Superficial group of back muscles,Latissimus dorsi,Trapezoid,Flaps