Contribution à l’étude de la vascularisation du muscle tenseur du fascia lata

The tensor fascia lata is a short flat muscle arising from the anterior superior iliac spine and inserting into the fascia lata at mid thigh. It is supplied by three arterial pedicles of unequal importance, branching from the external iliac, gluteal and deep femoral arteries. The ‘dominant’ blood supply is carried by the lateral circumflex femoral artery which comes from the deep femoral and enters the muscle, approximately 8.8 cm beneath the anterior superior iliac spine. This vessel varies in size from 2 to 3.5 mm; it is 8 cm long but can be lengthened by ligating the branch for the vastus lateralis. On the deep sheath of the iliotibial tract it gives off three branches which supply each third of the fleshy body. The upper branch runs vertically to the iliac insertion of the muscle but not so far as the iliac crest and provides no cutaneous twig. On the contrary, the mid branch runs transversally through the muscle and sends perforating vessels to the skin overlying the fascia lata 6–7 cm below the anterior superior iliac spine. The descending branch runs parallel to the muscular fibers of the muscle and supplies the skin of the lateral lower thigh down to 8 cm above the knee. So the pedicle supports an area of skin which is double the length (22 cm) and triple the width (9.5 cm) of the fleshy body. The tensor fascia lata including the two layers of the iliotibial tract but excluding its upper insertion, together with the skin of the lateral aspect of the thigh can be safely used as a myocutaneous flap for covering defects of the trochanteric, ischial and sacral areas.