A Rare Variation in the Course of C5 Root of Brachial Plexus.

Variations in the formation of the upper trunk of the brachial plexus are relatively rare. Knowledge of its possible variation is useful to orthopedic surgeons dealing with the problems of cervical spine, anesthesiologists performing brachial plexus blocks and general surgeons performing lower neck surgeries. In this report, we present a variation in the formation of the upper trunk of the brachial plexus. The upper trunk was formed by the union of ventral rami of fifth and sixth cervical spinal nerves. The fifth cervical ventral ramus passed ventral to the scalanus anterior muscle, while the sixth cervical ventral ramus passed between the scalanus anterior and medius muscles. The upper trunk was formed at the lateral border of the scalenus anterior muscle.

Scalenus Anterior Muscle With Two Heads Associated With Variation In The Branches Of Subclavian Artery: A Rare Presentation

Arterial variations are quite common. Many studies had elaborated variations in branching pattern of subclavianartery. Present study illustrates a unique feature of scalenus anterior muscle having two heads of origin and acommon trunk for internal thoracic artery (ITA) and thyrocervical trunk (TCT). This rare common trunk passesbetween two heads of right scalenus anterior. Such rare variation was not reported so far. The rarity of suchvariation signifies the necessity of the present study. On the left side all branches arose normally from subclavianartery except dorsal scapular artery which originates from second part itself instead of third part which is aquite common variation. The Internal thoracic artery is widely utilized as a great conduit for MyocardialRevascularization. This common truncal origin is of great surgical importance to Cardiothoracic Surgeons,Cardiovascular Surgeons and Interventional Therapy Radiologists.