Morphological Study on the Dorsalis Pedis and First Dorsal Metatarsal Arteries in Koreans / 대한해부학회지

Morphological variation of the dorsalis pedis and the first dorsal metatarsal arteries are important because these arteries are used as flap pedicles during surgery of hands and feet with tissue defects. The purpose of this study was to investigate variations in the running pattern of the dorsalis pedis and first dorsal metatarsal arteries. We investigated the dorsalis pedis artery in 92 adult cadaver feet and 50 first dorsal metatarsal arteries that arose from these dorsalis pedis arteries were studied. The dorsalis pedis artery was classified into six types according to its running direction. The dorsalis pedis artery running in the direction of the first intermetatarsal space and branching into the first dorsal metatarsal artery was observed in 79.3%. The dorsalis pedis artery coursing laterally and becoming the first dorsal metatarsal artery after changing its direction medially was seen in 5.4%. The dorsalis pedis artery was thin and did not connect to the first dorsal metataral artery, split in the region of ankle and came to an end, and ran laterally and did not connect to the first dorsal metatarsal artery in 8.7%, 2.2%, and 3.7%, respectively. The dorsalis pedis artery ran superficial to the deep fascia in 1 of the 92 specimens (1.1%). The first dorsal metatarsal artery was classified into three types according to the positional relationship between the first dorsal metatarsal artery and the first dorsal interosseous muscle. The first dorsal metatarsal artery ran above or into the first dorsal interosseous muscle in 72% and ran below the first dorsal interosseous muscle in 22%. The first dorsal metatarsal artery that was either above or inside the first dorsal interosseous muscle but could not used as a flap pedicle because it was too small was seen in 6%.

Topographical Relationship of the Superficial Temporal Vessels and the Auriculotemporal Nerve / 대한해부학회지

The anatomy of the superficial temporal vessels and the auriculotemporal nerve is important when harvesting various skin flaps in the temporal region. But Anatomy textbooks describe only one pattern of topographical relationship between these structures. A total of 65 Korean cadavers with 121 sides were used. We examined the topographical relationship between the superficial temporal artery and vein and the auriculotemporal nerve. And the bifurcating location of the superficial temporal artery and its distance from the lamina tragi were measured. The running patterns of the superficial temporal vessels were classified into 4 types according to their distance from each other and their parallelism. The artery and vein run parallel to each other in 61.2%. The running patterns of the superficial temporal vessels were classified into 5 types according to their anterior and posterior relationship. The artery runs anterior to the vein in most of the cases (72.7%). The topographic relationships of the auriculotemporal nerve and the superficial temporal vessels were classified into 6 types according to their anterior, posterior, superficial or deep position. In this classification, the relationship between the artery and the vein was not considered. The frequencies of 6 types were within 10~20%. The bifurcation of the artery occurred above the zygomatic arch in 85.3%. The superficial temporal artery ran 5.1 mm anterior to the tragus.

Communication between the musculocutaneous and the median nerves and its clinical significance / 대한해부학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate variations in the communicating branch between the musculocutaneous and the median nerves and to discuss their clinical significance. Seventy two arms from 36 Korean adults were used. Twenty four cases (33.4%) among 72 arms had communications between the musculocutaneous and the median nerves. In 19.5%, a communicating branch ran from the musculocutaneous to the median nerves and in 4.2% of these a communicating branch formed a loop. A branch running from the median to the musculocutaneous nerves was observed in 6.9%. There were more than two communicating branches between two nerves in 5.6%. The average angle between the musculocutaneous nerve proximal and distal to the coracobrachialis was 159+/-9degrees at adduction of the arm. The musculocutaneous nerve did not pierce the coracobrachialis muscle in 2.8%. One case (1.4%) showed partial fusion of the trunks of the musculocutaneous and median nerves. The musculocutaneous nerve ran next to the median nerve after the coracobrachialis muscle and coursed laterally in 5.6% with or without a communicating branch. In these cases, the angle of the musculocutaneous nerve was more acute. The musculocutaneous nerve entrapment is discussed with this angle.