ANATOMIC BASES OF MEDICAL, RADIOLOGICAL AND SURGICAL TECHNIQUES Arterial anatomy of the auricle: its importance for reconstructive surgery Received: 22 February 2002 / Accepted: 10 February 2003 / Published online: 4 September 2003 Ó Springer-Verlag 2003 Abstract Because the auricle is an organ that is both used as a flap in reconstructive surgery and is often ex- posed to trauma, the arterial distribution of the auricle is of great importance. The aims of this study were to investigate the auricular branches of the posterior auricular artery (PAA) and superficial temporal artery (STA), to determine the vascular territory of various auricular flaps for flap design. Fifteen human male ca- daver auricles were used for this study. A branch of the STA to the ear lobe (lower branch) was present in only five auricles (33%). Branches distributing the tragus were small and short arterioles (middle branch of the STA) which were present in 14 auricles (93%). The up- per branch of the STA ascends the ascending helix, giving off sub-branches. Some of these sub-branches traverse to the posterior surfaces of the ear and com- municate with branches of the PAA. The upper branch was present in all auricles. In 10 auricles (67%), the PAA terminated on the posterior auricular surface, whereas in five auricles (33%) it continued and distributed to the parietotemporal area. The arterial network which was obvious in the middle region of the posterior auricular surface was formed from the middle branch and some sub-branches of the upper branch of the PAA, which was found in 10 auricles (67%). We are convinced that the PAA is the dominant artery for the auricle and the arterial network of posterior auricular surface is better developed in the middle region than the other regions. Anatomie de la vascularisation arte´rielle de l’auricule. Son importance en chirurgie reconstructrice Re´ sume´ La vascularisation arte´rielle de l’auricule a une grande importance clinique: il est expose´ aux traumat- ismes et volontiers utilise´ comme lambeau en chirurgie reconstructrice. Les buts de cette e´tude e´taient l’analyse des rameaux auriculaires de l’arte`re auriculaire poste´ri- eure (AAP) et de l’arte`re temporale superficielle (ATS) afin de de´terminer les territoires vasculaires de diffe´rents lambeaux auriculaires. Les auricules de 15 cadavres d’hommes adultes ont e´te´ utilise´s pour ce travail. Un rameau auriculaire infe´rieur de l’ATS destine´ au lobule de l’auricule e´tait pre´sent sur seulement 5 auricules (33,3%). Les rameaux auriculaires moyens de l’ATS destine´s au tragus e´taient petits et courts; ils e´taient pre´sents sur 14 auricules (93,3%). Le rameau auriculaire supe´rieur de l’ATS cheminant devant l’he´lix lui donnait quelques rameaux. Quelques-uns traversent le pavillon, vers la face poste´rieure et communiquaient avec les rameaux auriculaires de l’AAP. Le rameau auriculaire supe´rieur de l’ATS e´tait pre´sent sur tous les auricules. Sur 10 auricules (66,6%), l’AAP se terminait a` la face poste´rieure de l’auricule. Sur 5 auricules (33,3%), cette arte`re se poursuivait et se distribuait a` la re´gion parie´to- temporale. Le re´seau arte´riel, bien forme´ dans la re´gion moyenne de la face poste´rieure de l’auricule, e´tait con- stitue´ par le rameau auriculaire moyen de l’AAP et de quelques arte´rioles provenant de son rameau supe´rieur, ce qui a e´te´ parfaitement retrouve´ sur 10 auricules (66,6%). Nous avons ainsi montre´ que l’AAP est l’arte`re principale de l’auricule et que le re´seau arte´riel de la surface auriculaire poste´ rieure est beaucoup mieux de´ veloppe´ dans la partie moyenne que dans les autres re´gions de l’auricule. Keywords Auricle Æ Flap Æ Supply Æ Anatomy Surg Radiol Anat (2003) 25: 175–179 DOI 10.1007/s00276-003-0128-8 Y. Atamaz Pinar Æ Z. Asli Aktan _ Ikiz Æ O. Bilge Electronic Supplementary Material The french version of this article is available in the form of electronic supplementary material and can be obtained by using the Springer Link server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00276-003-0128-8. Y. Atamaz Pinar (&) Æ Z. Asli Aktan _ Ikiz Æ O. Bilge Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ege University, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey E-mail: asaktan@med.ege.edu.tr Tel.: +90-232-3881098 Fax: +90-232-4893460 Y. Atamaz Pinar Tıp Faku¨ltesi Anatomi Anabilim Dalı, Ege U ¨ niversitesi, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey