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Supernumerary head of biceps brachii and branching pattern of the musculocutaneus nerve in Japanese

Chef surnuméraire du biceps brachial et organisation du nerf musculo-cutané chez les japonais

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Summary

Out of 546 upper limbs (273 cadavers), supernumerary heads of the biceps brachii were found in 75 limbs (13.7%) of 58 cadavers (21.3%). The form, origin, and insertion of the supernumerary heads, and branching pattern of the musculocutaneus nerve were studied. In addition, the dimensions of the heads were measured. In many cases, the supernumerary head arose from the humerus, between the insertion of the coracobrachialis and the upper part of the origin of the brachialis, and/or from the medial intermuscular septum. In a few cases, a supernumerary head arose from the tendon of the pectoralis major or the deltoid, or from the articular capsule, or from the crest of the greater tubercle. The supernumerary heads typically joined the common belly, or the aponeurosis of the biceps brachii. Some heads joined the belly of the long head or that of the short head. In the examination of the branching pattern of the musculocutaneus nerve, communication between the musculocutaneus nerve and the median nerve was found in 43 out of the 75 limbs (57.3%). The communicating branch ran from the musculocutaneus nerve to the median nerve in 24, from the median nerve to the musculocutaneus nerve in 12, in both directions in 5, or in another type of pattern in 2 out of 43 limbs. Sometimes a branch of the musculocutaneus nerve ran around a supernumerary head and then fused with the present trunk. The presence of a supernumerary head seemed to affect the course and branching of the musculocutaneus nerve.

Résumé

A partir de l'étude de 546 membres supérieurs (273 cadavres) nous avons trouvé 75 cas (chez 58 cadavres) de chef surnuméraire de muscle biceps brachial (21.3%). Nous en avons étudié la forme, le trajet, la taille et les insertions ainsi que l'organisation des divisions du nerf musculo-cutané. Dans de nombreux cas le chef surnuméraire provient soit de l'humérus où il s'insère entre le m. coraco-brachial et la partie proximale du muscle brachial soit/et du septum intermusculaire médial. Dans quelques cas un chef surnuméraire a été observé à partir du tendon du m. grand pectoral ou du m. deltoïde ou encore de la capsule articulaire, voire du tubercule majeur. II rejoint habituellement le chef commun du m. biceps brachial ou son aponévrose. Parfois la jonction se fait sur l'un ou l'autre des deux corps musculaire. L'étude du n. musculo-cutané montre une anastomose avec le nerf médian dans 43 des 75 membres concernés (57.3%). Cette branche anastomotique va du n. musculo-cutané au nerf médian dans 24 cas et du n. médian au n. musculo-cutané dans 12 cas, elle va dans les deux directions dans 5 cas; dans les 2 cas restant le modèle d'anastomose est variable. Parfois une branche du n. musculo-cutané entoure le chef surnuméraire et fusionne ensuite avec le tronc du nerf. La présence d'un chef surnuméraire semble donc modifier le trajet et les connexions du nerf musculo-cutané.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. First Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Jikei University, 3-25-8 Nishishinbashi, Minatoku, 105, Tokyo, Japan

    K Kosugi, S Shibata & H Yamashita

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  1. K Kosugi
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  2. S Shibata
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  3. H Yamashita
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Kosugi, K., Shibata, S. & Yamashita, H. Supernumerary head of biceps brachii and branching pattern of the musculocutaneus nerve in Japanese. Surg Radiol Anat 14, 175–185 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01794898

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