The Correlation Between Body Mass Index and Computed Tomography Angiography on Vascular Positioning in Anterolateral Thigh Flap Transplantation

Abstract

Objective: This work aimed to investigate the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the vascular positioning of anterolateral thigh perforator flap (ALT) and to discuss the influence of CTA on the vascular positioning of the ALT by taking BMI as a variable. Methods: A total of 117 patients who admitted to our hospital (Wuxi Ninth People’s Hospital) from January 2017 to May 2019, hospitalized due to limb injury and needed ALT transplantation were collected in this work. According to the BMI, the patients were divided into group A (BMI < 18.5) with 18 cases, group B (18.5 ≤ BMI < 24) with 56 cases, and group C (BMI ≥ 24) with 43 cases. CTA was used to locate the perforator vessels in anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap of the three groups. All surgical and CTA data were collected. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between BMI and CTA positioning (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The larger the BMI, the more accurate the CTA positioning. When the BMI was not less than 18.5, CTA positioning should be the most accurate.

Keywords

• anterolateral thigh perforator flap
• computed tomography angiography
• body mass index
• region of interest
• blood vessel