Pattern of musculocutaneous and median nerve communication in adult cadavers

Abstract

Background: Variations in connections between the musculocutaneous and median nerves in the arm are not as uncommon as was once  thought. Lesions of the communicating nerve may give rise to patterns of weakness that may impose difficulty in diagnosis.   

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the variation of the musculocutaneous nerve (MCN) and analyze the incidence of nerve  communication between the musculocutaneous and median nerves.

Methods: Anatomical dissection was performed in the present work  by using 62 arms from 31 adult cadavers, age ranging from eighteen to eighty years, which was donated to Medical Universities in  Myanmar. Among the 62 studied arms, 26 arms (41.9%) were male, and 36 arms (58.1%) were female.

Results: Nerve variation patterns  were seen in four out of 62 studied arms (6.4%) and one arm (1.6%) showed no musculocutaneous nerve. One out of 62 studied arms  (1.6%) revealed the musculocutaneous nerve did not pierce the coracobrachialis muscles but communicated with the median nerve in the  upper third of arm. One out 62 studied arms (1.6%) revealed a musculocutaneous nerve piercing the coracobrachialis muscle and  communicated with the median nerve in the upper third of arm. Communicating branch was found in two upper limbs (3.22%).  

Conclusion: The knowledge of these variations will allow physicians to correctly interpret anomalous innervation patterns of the upper limb.