Median Nerve Behavior in Different Upper Limb Positions

Abstract

The neural compression syndromes peripheral upper limb are common in clinical medicine and the causes range from trauma and occupational factors. Technical evaluation manuals as neural tension at different positions of the upper limb as well as knowledge of the topography of the affected nerve are essential for accurate diagnosis. The objective of this study was to analyze the behavior of the median nerve in different positions of the upper limb. Fifteen formalin-fixed cadavers were used for morphometric and topographic evaluation of the median nerve in different positions of the right upper limb. In all cases analyzed, the median nerve originated from the lateral and medial fascicles of the brachial plexus and attended by the arm and forearm in accordance with the classical descriptions in the literature. Measurement of the length of the nerve in different positions of the upper limb showed greater stretching during the position that combined extension and external rotation of the shoulder and extension of the elbow/wrist/fingers. In conclusion, the metric landmarks and positions studied are important for the precise diagnosis of median nerve neurobiomechanics in nerve compression syndromes.