ANASTOMOSIS BETWEEN THE ULNAR AND MEDIAN NERVES IN THE FOREARM: AN ELECTROPHYSIOLOCIGAL STUDY

Headnote

ABSTRACT

Background: On the upper limb, it was described several communicating branches between median and ulnar nerve. Anastomosis in which the branch anastomotic originates proximally in the median nerve and unites distally in the ulnar nerve is known as median - ulnar anastomosis type or Martin-Gruber anastomosis (MGA). Reversed Martin Gruber anastomosis, ulnar - to - median nerve anastomosis, known as Marinacci comunication (MA), rises from ulnar nerve, and join the median nerve, also in the forearm.

The aim was to present an electrophysiological study of the case of rare anatomical communications between ulnar and median nerve, known as Marinacci, in the forearm from our electrophysiologic lab.

Conslusion: The knowledge of the existence of the anastomoses between ulnar and median nerves in forearm, is extremely important for the correct diagnosis of neuropathies, and prevents a pitfalls in electrophysiological studies.

Key words: Median - Ulnar nerve anastomososis; Martin - Gruber anastomosis, Ulnar -Median nerve anastomosis; Marinacci anastomosis

SAŽETAK

Uvod: Na gornjim ekstremitetima je opisano više anastomoza izmeðu medijalnog i ulnarnog nerva. Anastomoza u kojoj anastomotska grana prelazi sa proksimalnog dijela medijanog nerva na ulnarni nerv u distalnom dijelu podlaktice je poznata kao Martin - Gruber anastomoza (MGA). Obrnuta MGA, anastomoza sa ulnarnog nerva na medijani nerv je poznata kao Marinacci anastomoza (MA), koja polazi sa ulnarnog i priključuje se medijanom nervu, takoðer u području podlaktice.

Prezentiramo elektrofiziološki slučaj rijetke anastomoze izmeðu ulnarnog i medijanog nerva na podlaktici, poznate kao Marinacci, iz našeg elektromioneurografskog kabineta.

Zaključak: Poznavanje postojanja anastomoza izmeðu medijanog i ulnarnog nerva na podlaktici jer vrlo važno za ispravnu dijagnozu neuropatija, i sprječavanje grešaka prilikom elektrofizioloških studija.

Ključne riječi: n. medijanus - n. ulnaris anastomoza; Martin - Gruber anastomoza; n. ulnaris - n. medijanus anastomoza; Marinacci anastomoza

INTRODUCTION

On the upper limb, it was described several communicating branches between median and ulnar nerve. Anastomosis in which the branch anastomotic originates proximally in the median nerve and unites distally in the ulnar nerve is known as median - ulnar anastomosis type or Martin-Gruber anastomosis (MGA). Martin, a...