Anatomical study of the communicating branches of cords of the brachial plexus and their clinical implications

• Published in: Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 631 - 636
• Main Authors: Song, Zhan-Feng, Sun, Mao-Min, Wu, Zhan-Yong, Lv, Hang-Zhou, Xia, Chun-Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2014; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: applied anatomy; brachial plexus; Brachial Plexus - anatomy & histology; communicating branch; Female; Humans; Male; Reference Values; brachial plexus; communicating branch; applied anatomy
• ISSN: 0897-3806; 1098-2353
• DOI: 10.1002/ca.22126

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and patterns of the communicating branches of cords of the brachial plexus (BPs). This study was performed with 50 fixed adult cadavers (all 100 sides). The BPs were exposed, the presence of the communicating branches of BPs were determined, measured, and photographed. The communicating branches were identified in 27 sides of the BPs. According to enthesis, the communicating branches between the medial and lateral cords (25 sides) were divided into five types. The most common branches connected the lateral cord with the medial root of the median nerve (16 sides). All the communicating branches between the lateral and medial cords obliquely crossed anterior to the axillary artery and passed below the thoracoacromial artery trunk. The distance of the communicating branch with the origin of thoracoacromial artery trunk was 1.60 ± 0.64 cm. The length, transverse diameter, and anteroposterior diameter of communicating branch were 1.67 ± 0.62 cm, 1.77 ± 0.63 mm, and 1.91 ± 0.34 mm, respectively. These anatomical data about the communicating branches will be helpful for surgeons who perform surgical procedures in the cervical and axillary regions. Clin. Anat. 27:631–636, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.