The Functional Anatomy and Innervation of the Platysma is Segmental: Implications for Lower Lip Dysfunction, Recurrent Platysmal Bands, and Surgical Rejuvenation.

Background: Despite the central role of the platysma in face and neck rejuvenation, much confusion exists regarding its surgical anatomy.

Objectives: This study was undertaken to clarify the regional anatomy of the platysma and its innervation pattern and to explain clinical phenomena, such as the origin of platysmal bands and their recurrence, and the etiology of lower lip dysfunction after neck lift procedures.

Methods: Fifty-five cadaver heads were studied (16 embalmed, 39 fresh, mean age 75 years).

The Microvascular Basis of the Superior Thyroid Artery Perforator Flap.

Background: The superior thyroid artery perforator flap has been presented previously in this Journal as a locoregional flap that provides an excellent tissue match with minimal donor morbidity for lateral face and temple defects. In the current study, the authors aimed to describe the microvascular anatomy of this flap.

Methods: The authors used in vivo computer tomographic angiography, cadaveric dissection, and ex vivo angiography in order to improve surgical safety and application of this technique.

The superior thyroid artery perforator flap: anatomical study and clinical series.

Unlabelled: The redundant tissues of the anterior neck are well suited as a donor site for fasciocutaneous flaps in head and neck reconstruction, with similar skin quality and numerous underlying perforators. However, historic cadaveric research has limited the use of this as a donor site for the design of long and/or large flaps for fear of vascular compromise. The authors undertook an anatomical study to identify the vascular basis for such flaps and have modified previous designs to offer the versatile and reliable superior thyroid artery perforator (STAP) flap.

The profunda femoris artery "fourth perforator" island flap: a new perforator flap in lower-limb reconstruction.

Although the lateral thigh flap has been well described as a fasciocutaneous flap based on one or more of the four perforators of the profunda femoris artery, the role for these individual perforators as perforator flaps has not been described. These profunda femoris artery perforators offer a particularly useful option in lower-limb reconstruction. In fact, a perforator flap based on the profunda femoris artery fourth perforator (PFA-P4) has not been described to our knowledge.

Adipose differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells using Pluronic F-127 hydrogel in vitro.

Due to increasing clinical demand for adipose tissue, a suitable scaffold for engineering adipose tissue constructs is needed. In this study, we have developed a three-dimensional (3-D) culture system using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) and a Pluronic F-127 hydrogel scaffold as a step towards the in vitro tissue engineering of fat. BM-MSC were dispersed into a Pluronic F-127 hydrogel with or without type I collagen added.