Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Patient Safety in Surgery
Published in: Patient Safety in Surgery 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Case report

Anatomic variant of the inferior lateral cutaneous branch of the radial nerve during the posterior approach to the humerus: a case report

Authors: Li Sun, Brian K Park, Salil Gupta, John T Capo, Richard S Yoon, Frank A Liporace

Published in: Patient Safety in Surgery | Issue 1/2015

Login to get access

Abstract

Iatrogenic injury during the posterior approach to the humerus during operative fixation is not an uncommon occurrence. A comprehensive understanding of the normal anatomy and its variants is of paramount importance in order to avoid such injury. Typically, the inferior lateral cutaneous branch of the radial nerve originates towards the distal end of the humerus at the inferior portion of the spiral groove. Here, we report an important variant of this nerve, which originated significantly more proximal than expected, further emphasizing the importance of identification, dissection and protection of the radial nerve and its major branches.
Literature
1.
Wang JP, Shen WJ, Chen WM, Huang CK, Shen YS, Chen TH. Iatrogenic radial nerve palsy after operative management of humeral shaft fractures. J Trauma. 2009;66(3):800–3.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Abrams RA, Ziets RJ, Lieber RL, Botte MJ. Anatomy of the radial nerve motor branches in the forearm. J Hand Surg Am. 1997;22(2):232–7.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Carlan D, Pratt J, Patterson JM, Weiland AJ, Boyer MI, Gelberman RH. The radial nerve in the brachium: an anatomic study in human cadavers. J Hand Surg Am. 2007;32(8):1177–82.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Cho H, Lee HY, Gil YC, Choi YR, Yang HJ. Topographical anatomy of the radial nerve and its muscular branches related to surface landmarks. Clin Anat. 2012.
5.
de Seze MP, Rezzouk J, de Seze M, Uzel M, Lavignolle B, Midy D, et al. Does the motor branch of the long head of the triceps brachii arise from the radial nerve? An anatomic and electromyographic study. Surg Radiol Anat. 2004;26(6):459–61.CrossRefPubMed
6.
DeFranco MJ, Lawton JN. Radial nerve injuries associated with humeral fractures. J Hand Surg Am. 2006;31(4):655–63.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Fleming P, Lenehan B, Sankar R, Folan-Curran J, Curtin W. One-third, two-thirds: relationship of the radial nerve to the lateral intermuscular septum in the arm. Clin Anat. 2004;17(1):26–9.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Seigerman DA, Choung EW, Yoon RS, Lu M, Frank MA, Gaines LC, et al. Identification of the radial nerve during the posterior approach to the humerus: a cadaveric study. J Orthop Trauma. 2012;26(4):226–8.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Uerpairojkit C, Ketwongwiriya S, Leechavengvongs S, Malungpaishrope K, Witoonchart K, Mekrungcharas N, et al. Surgical anatomy of the radial nerve branches to triceps muscle. Clin Anat. 2013;26(3):386–91.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Hannouche D, Ballis R, Raould A, Nizard RS, Masquelet AC. A lateral approach to the distal humerus following identification of the cutaneous branches of the radial nerve. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2009;91(4):552–6.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Joiner ER, Skaggs DL, Arkader A, Andras LM, Lightdale-Miric NR, Pace JL, et al. Iatrogenic nerve injuries in the treatment of supracondylar humerus fractures: are we really just missing nerve injuries on preoperative examination? J Pediatr Orthop. 2014;34(4):388–92.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Anatomic variant of the inferior lateral cutaneous branch of the radial nerve during the posterior approach to the humerus: a case report
Authors
Li Sun
Brian K Park
Salil Gupta
John T Capo
Richard S Yoon
Frank A Liporace
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Patient Safety in Surgery / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1754-9493
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13037-015-0063-8

Other articles of this Issue 1/2015

Patient Safety in Surgery 1/2015 Go to the issue

Short report

Preoperative Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor imaging reduces surgical trauma and pancreatic tissue loss in insulinoma patients: a report of three cases

Short report

Training safer surgeons: How do patients view the role of simulation in orthopaedic training?

Research

High incidence of post-operative infection after ‘sinus tarsi’ approach for treatment of intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus: a 5 year experience in an academic level one trauma center

Research

Suboptimal compliance with surgical safety checklists in Colorado: A prospective observational study reveals differences between surgical specialties

Research

Single-stage debridement and spinal fusion using PEEK cages through a posterior approach for eradication of lumbar pyogenic spondylodiscitis: a safe treatment strategy for a detrimental condition

Research

The impact of a daily pre-operative surgical huddle on interruptions, delays, and surgeon satisfaction in an orthopedic operating room: a prospective study