Variations in nerve supply of lumbricals of hand in North Indian population

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Original Article

Author Details : Neelamjit Kaur, Jagdev Singh Kullar, Rajan Kumar Singla

Volume : 3, Issue : 4, Year : 2016

Article Page : 467-469

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Abstract

Introduction: During evolution from lower animals to higher animals the hand has undergone a great revolution. Lumbricals of the hand produce flexion at metacarpophalangeal joint and extension at the interphalangeal joint thus helping in performance of precise work.
Material & Methods: The present study was conducted on 60 upper limbs of 30 well embalmed adult human cadavers at the Government Medical College, Amritsar. The whole course of the median and ulnar nerve and its branches in hand was traced.
Aim: Aim was to study the nerve supply of different lumbricals of hand.
Results: In the present study, variations from the normal pattern were found in the innervation of lumbricals. Besides the first two lumbricals, median nerve was innervating the third lumbrical in 3(5%) hands. Second lumbrical was supplied by two branches from median nerve in 2(3.3%) hands. We also found berretini communications between median and ulnar nerves in 6(10%) hands but it has been described earlier by the same authors in a different article.
Clinical Significance: The variation in innervation of lumbricals in hand and their incidence will aid the surgeon in avoiding iatrogenic complications and improve the success rate of surgeries performed on hand.

Keywords: Hand, Lumbricals, Median nerve, Ulnar nerve, Innervation

How to cite : Kaur N, Kullar J S, Singla R K, Variations in nerve supply of lumbricals of hand in North Indian population. Indian J Clin Anat Physiol 2016;3(4):467-469

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