Cutaneous arterial blood supply to the temporal region was evaluated in 8 dogs and
8 cats. Dissection of 4 dog and 4 cat cadavers revealed the location of cutaneous branches
of the superficial telnporaJ artery supplying the frontalis tnuscle and skin of the temporal
region. The frontalis 1l1uscle is a thin muscle dorsal to the temporaJis muscle that extends
cranially and rostral1y from the rostral border of the scutulU111 to the forehead and upper
eyelid. Microangiography and subtraction radiography of the external carotid and
superficial telnporal arteries were used in 4 dogs and 4 cats to determine arterial blood
supply to the temporal region and frontalis muscle.
A superficial temporal artery (ST A) flap was developed in 9 dogs [ group A (n=5),
group B (n=4)]. Ligation of the superficial tetnporal artery in the control dogs (n=5),
rendered flaps dependent on the subdermal plexus. Dogs in group A (n=5) and the control
group (n=5) had flap lengths that extended to the contralateral eye, while group B (n=4)
flaps extended to the contralateral zygomatic arch. A11 flap widths were equivalent to the
width of the zygomatic arch in the individual dog. Mean length of surviving tissue (mean
survival length) (+/- SD) of control flaps was 7.0 (0.6) ern, compared with experimental
flaps, group A 9.) (0.8) em and group B 10.4 0.1) cm. Mean survival percentage area
of control flaps was 73.5 (7.4) %, compared with experimental flaps, group A 93.1 (7.5)
0/0 and group B 69.1 (4.5) 0/0. The mean survival length of control and experimental flaps was significantly different (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between
survival lengths of the experimental groups.
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