The brachioradialis forearm flap: anatomy and clinical application

Abstract

The blood supply to the brachioradialis muscle and the skin of the forearm was studied in latex-injected arms. The dominant perforator to the muscle arose from the brachial artery (27.3 percent), radial recurrent artery (33.3 percent), or radial artery (39.4 percent). In all cases, adequate perforators exist from the radial artery so that transfer as either a muscle or musculocutaneous free flap based on this vessel is possible. In 10 arms the septocutaneous perforators from the radial artery were dissected to determine the relationship between the forearm and brachioradialis flaps. Transfer of the brachioradialis muscle as a free flap or combined with the radial artery forearm flap based on the radial artery and either the venae comitantes and/or the cutaneous veins is feasible. Four clinical cases demonstrate the usefulness of this flap.