Nervous Communications In The Upper Limb. A Cadaveric Study

Abstract

Background: Anatomical variations of the terminal branches of the brachial plexus in terms of communication between nerves at the level of upper limb have been reported, these communications were median and musculocutaneous nerve, median and ulnar nerve, radial and ulnar nerve (at level humeral), but communications between the radial and ulnar nerve at level of the forearm are very rare. Methods and Findings: 34 upper extremities of 15 male and 2 females embalmed adults cadavers in the laboratory of Morphology of the University of Pamplona. The upper limbs were studied serially during the years 2013-2016. Of the 34 upper limbs studied in the Laboratory of Mor­phology of the University of Pamplona, in a 75 year-old male cadaver anatomical variations were found, dissected carefully and morphological details were photographed, these variations consisted of nervous communications between median and musculocutaneous nerve in the arm, median and ulnar nerve in the forearm, radial and ulnar nerve in the forearm. Conclusions: Knowledge of these communications is of clinical significance. Surgical, therapeutic and diagnostically invasive procedures require extreme caution to prevent lesions of the anastomotic branches.