Characterization of Ulnar-Median Deep Palmar Communication in a Sample with Cadaveric Material

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Luis Ernesto Ballesteros Acuña; Pedro Luis Forero Porras & Oscar Javier Larrotta Rojas

Summary

Deep Palmar Ulnar-Medium Communication (DPUMC) is the connection between the deep branch of the ulnar nerve (UN) and the median nerve (MN) branch, that innervates the thenar muscles as the superficial head of the short flexor of the thumb. Few studies dealing with this communicating branch, and its prevalence is reported with a wide variability in the range of 16-77 %. This non-probabilistic, descriptive, cross-sectional study; evaluated the frequency and morphological characteristics of DPUMC in 106 hands of fresh unclaimed cadaveric specimens, that underwent necropsy at the Institute of Legal Medicine of Bucaramanga (Colombia). DPUMC communicating branch was observed in 39 specimens (50.2 %), of which 12 (44.5 %) were bilateral, 15 (55.6 %) unilateral, with right unilateral predominance for 9 cases (60 %), on the left of only 6 cases (40 %). There were no statistically significant differences in relation to the presentation side (P = 0.223). In 21 specimens (54 %), type IV was observed; while type I was found in 4 cases (10 %). The average length of the communicating branch was 24.67 SD 6.46 mm; while the distance from the proximal point of the DPUMC to the distal carpal groove was 41.4 SD 2.6 mm. Our findings are not consistent with those reported in most previous studies. Various factors such as sample size, different measurement methodologies and phenotypic expressions of each population group evaluated can explain the variability of the DPUMC.

KEY WORDS: Median Nerve (MN); Ulnar Nerve (UN); Deep ulnar nerve branch; Deep palmar region; Communicating branch.

How to cite this article

BALLESTEROS, A. L. E.; FORERO, P. P. L. & LARROTTA, R. O. J. Characterization of ulnar-median deep palmar communication in a sample with cadaveric material. Int. J. Morphol., 38(5):1192-1196, 2020.