Applied Anatomy Of The Brachial Triceps Branches Of Radial Nerve For Repairing The Superior Trunk Of Brachial Plexus

Objective: To provide the anatomical basis for the reparing of axillary nerve and musculocutaneous nerve with brachial triceps branches of radial nerve. To make it more safety and easier in nerve transfer.Methods: 50 adult upper extremity cadavers perfused with red latex, the intersection between lateral,inferior margin of scapular spine and acromia was regarded as fixed point. The radial nerve trunk was dissected from the axillary to the medial upper arm. The origin point,insertion site,length, transverse diameter and the length of attraumatic detachment of brachial triceps branches of radial nerve were measured. The origin point,insertion site,length, transverse diameter of the branches of musculocutaneous nerve to biceps brachii were also checked. The origin point,insertion site,length, transverse diameter of anterior branch and posterior branch of axillary nerve were dissected and measured at quadrilateral space. The number of their fibers in four fresh nerve specimens was measured and calculated through Karnovsky-Roots histochemical technique.Results:There were averagely 3(2~4)nerve branches to each head of brachial triceps muscle. The nerve branches to the long,lateral and medial heads of triceps brachii were respectively 45.6 ± 1.8mm , 44.6±1.7mm and 54.6±1.7mm in the length of attraumatic detachment; 0.8 ± 0.2mm,0.9 ± 0.2mm and 0.9 ±0.2mm in transverse diameter;and 350 ± 40, 341±30, 372±45 in fiber number. Brachial triceps branches of radial nerve, the branches of musculocutaneous nerve to biceps brachii and the anterior branch of axillary nerve were similar in transverse diameter and fiber number. The length of attraumatic detachment of the nerve to the long and lateral heads of triceps brachii was longer than the combined length between their origin to fixed point and the distance from the origin of...