Topographic-anatomical relationships of the median and ulnar nerves in the region of the palm
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26641/1997-9665.2025.4.88-94Keywords:
palm, ulnar nerve, median nerve, variant anatomy, human.Abstract
Relevance. Research on the topographic-anatomical relationships of nerves in the palm region is important due to the high level of traumatic injuries and compression-ischemic syndromes in this area. Objective. The study aimed to supplement and clarify the literature data regarding the topography and anatomical features of the relationship between the median and ulnar nerves in the palm region. Materials and Methods. The features of the fetal topography of the ulnar and median nerves in the right and left palms were studied using 36 preparations from 18 human fetuses aged 4-10 months through macromicroscopic dissection, vascular injection, sequential drawing of dissection stages, and morphometry. The study employed an original method of sequential anatomical dissection of the vessels and nerves in the palm area of the human hand. Results. This study supplements and clarifies the data on the topographic-anatomical relationships between the ulnar and median nerves. It was found that, in addition to stable innervation zones, there are individual variations, including the involvement of both nerves in the innervation of certain muscles, the presence of internal and inter-neural connecting branches, and variability in the branching of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. Conclusion. The anatomical variability between the median and ulnar nerves and their individual branches indicates a significant degree of individual variability in the topography and innervation of muscles in the palm region. The characteristics of the relationships between the studied structures are of considerable importance for clinical practice, as they reduce the risk of damage during hand surgeries and improve the effectiveness of diagnostic procedures and surgical interventions.
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