Skin flaps: A novel approach to medical student instruction on integumentary arterial blood supply

Abstract

Purpose: How much do anatomical and histological texts inform medical students about the arterial supply to the skin? What is a good method in a system-based curriculum to highlight the importance of blood supply to the skin? Basic procedures: Anatomical and histological texts were sourced for the following keywords: skin graft, skin flap, septocutaneous vessel, musculocutaneous vessel, perforator, angiosome, perforasome, sural artery, saphenous artery, gastrocnemial artery. From the skin flaps available for functional and cosmetic reconstructive surgery three were chosen as a good example of blood supply to muscle/bone and overlying skin to be illustrative to medical students. Findings: Only few anatomical texts mention blood supply of the skin in some detail. Non demonstrate and link angiosomes to reconstructive surgical procedures.There are 3 skin flaps which are easy to dissect to demonstrate medical students the origin of the blood supply to the muscle (and bone) and the overlying tissues (skin). Pictures of these flaps show ease of procuring and detail for demonstration. Conclusions: Anatomical and histological texts have not incorporated published research findings from basic science investigators and clinicians about angiosomes. Through the use of prosections of three skin grafts the medical student can appreciate the blood supply to the skin and understand the underlying principle in reconstructive surgery.

Keywords

• Integument
• Arterial supply
• Angiosomes
• Skin flaps
• Prosection