Median Nerve Arising from Three Roots

Case Report

Austin J Anat. 2014;1(3): 1011.

Median Nerve Arising from Three Roots

Herath HMLY, Raayiz RM, Rathnayake RMCH, Sandamali SPU, Amaratunga HA and Adikari SB*

Department of Anatomy, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

*Corresponding author: Dr. S B Adikari,Senior Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Received:May 20, 2014; Accepted: July 14, 2014; Published: July 18, 2014

Abstract

The brachial plexus is formed by the anterior rami of the lower four cervical and the first thoracic spinal nerves. The median is one of the five major nerves arising from the brachial plexus. It is usually formed by the union of two roots, one from the medial and the other from the lateral cord of the brachial plexus. During routine dissection of the axilla in a male cadaver, it was observed that the median nerves of both sides were formed by three roots. One root arose from the medial cord and the other two from the lateral cord. Knowledge of such variations is useful for doctors in their clinical practice in order to understand the anatomical basis of complicated clinical symptoms and signs.

Keywords: Brachial plexus; Median nerve; Medial root; Lateral root

Case Presentation

During a routine dissection of the axilla at the Department of Anatomy, a variation in the formation of the median nerves was identified. In contrast to the normal pattern, the median nerves of both sides were formed by three roots. One root arose from the medial cord and the other two were from the lateral cord [1]. No other variations in the brachial plexus were identified.

In the left axilla, the medial root was joined by one lateral root to form the main trunk of the median nerve and this was joined by a second lateral root which was given off from the lateral cord about 1cm distal to the first root. The second root was 4cm long and it joined the median nerve 2.5cm distal to the union of the medial root and the first lateral root (Figure 1). In the right axilla the arrangement was similar except the second root joined the median nerve just distal to the union of the medial root and the first lateral root (Figure 2).

Citation: Herath HMLY, Raayiz RM, Rathnayake RMCH, Sandamali SPU, Amaratunga HA and Adikari SB. Median Nerve Arising from Three Roots. Austin J Anat. 2014;1(3): 1011. ISSN:2381-8921