THE BLOOD SUPPLY OF THE RAMUS SUPERFICIALIS OF THE RADIAL NERVE, AND NERVUS CUTANEOUS ANTEBRACHII LATERALIS / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

1. Fifty upper limbs of adult cadavers were dissected under an operating microscope.2. The ramus superficialis of the radial nerve is about 180 mm long, and springs from the radial nerve at a level about 16 mm below the medial epicondyle of the humerus. As the radial artery, it can be divided into superficial and deep parts by the overlapping of musculus brachioradialis. The junction between the two parts corresponds to a plane which divides the forearm into upper 2/3 and lower 1/3. The width of the ramus superficialis increases gradually as it runs downwards, and its cross section looks elliptical distally and somewhat circular proximally. Each of the two parts of the ramus superficialis receives 1～4 arteries from the lateral cutaneous arteries or muscular branches of the radial artery. Measurements were made to determine the position of the origin of these arteries.3. The nervus cutaneous antebrachii lateralis divides into two branches in the forearm, and receives 2～8 arteries mainly from the lateral cutaneous branches of the radial artery. It usually gives a branch communicating with the ramus superficialis of the radial nerve. The nervus cutaneous antebrachii lateralis can be found easily at the point just 5～6 mm lateral to the junction of the superficial and deep parts of the radial artery.4. The applied anatomy of the vascular pedicle nerve graft was discussed.