Yonsei Med J. 2003 Dec;44(6):1110-1113. English.
Published online Mar 30, 2009.
Copyright © 2003 The Yonsei University College of Medicine
Case Report

A Variation of the Musculocutaneous Nerve Absent

Wu Chul Song,1 Han Sung Jung,1 Hee Jin Kim,1 Chuog Shin,2 Beob Yi Lee,3 and Ki Seok Koh3
    • 1Division in Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Dept. Oral Biology, Oral Science Research Center, College of Dentistry, Brain Korea 21 Project for Med Sci, Yonsei Univ, Seoul, Korea.
    • 2Department of Life Sci, College of Liberal Arts and Sci, Yonsei Univ, Wonju, Korea.
    • 3Department of Anatomy, College of Med, Konkuk Univ, Korea.
Received May 28, 2003; Accepted July 04, 2003.

Abstract

A variation of the brachial plexus, characterized by the absence of the musculocutaneous nerve on the left arm, was found during the dissection of a 28-year old male cadaver. The whole lateral cord was joined to the median nerve, which it met in two points. One was a typical junction of both roots of the median nerve at the level of the coracoid process. The other was a junction of the remaining lateral cord and the median nerve, which was 92 mm away from the typical junction. This case provided some evidence about the absence of the musculocutaneous nerve, rather than a complete fusion of the median and musculocutaneous nerves. As the nerves are named due to their course or innervation, and not from their origin, it is reasonable to assume that the combined nerve was actually the median nerve, and that the musculocutaneous nerve did not exist.

Keywords
Variation; brachial plexus; musculocutaneous nerve; median nerve


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