Fetal topography of the common palmar digital nerves and arteries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15574/SP.2025.8(152).2330Keywords:
common palmar digital nerves and arteries, hand, median nerve, ulnar nerve, fetus, anatomy, humanAbstract
To date, the data on the variability, the site of branching of the common palmar digital nerves into the proper palmar digital nerves and their relationship with the corresponding arteries remain discussable and fragmentary.
Aim - to determine the peculiarities of the topography of the common palmar digiti nerves and arteries in human fetuses of 4-10 months of age.
Materials and methods. We studied 54 hand preparations using macromicroscopic dissection and morphometry of human fetuses aged 4-10 months without external signs of anatomical abnormalities or congenital malformations of the upper extremities. The author used his own method of sequential anatomical dissection of the vessels and nerves of the human hand.
Results. At the site of the distal edge of the transverse carpal ligament, the median nerve trunk divides into the first, second, and third common palmar digital nerves. In 5 cases, the first common palmar digital nerve was absent and replaced by branches directly originating from the median nerve. The fourth common palmar digital nerve and the proper palmar digital nerve of the fifth finger arise from the superficial palmar branch of ulnar nerve. The primary source of blood supply to the common palmar digital arteries is the superficial branch of ulnar artery and the superficial palmar arterial arch it forms. Compared to the corresponding nerves, the common palmar digital arteries demonstrate greater variability in their structure, number, topography, and origin. The branching sites of the common palmar digital arteries are located distal to the division sites of the corresponding nerves.
Conclusions. In human fetuses, the branching sites of each common palmar digital nerve into proper palmar digital nerves are variable and individualized for each hand. The second and third common palmar digital nerves are the most topographically constant among the palmar nerves. The sites of branching of the common palmar nerves are evenly shifted in the proximal direction with increasing fetal age. There are communicating branches between the common and proper palmar digital nerves, which cause the formation of anastomotic networks with different loop shapes.
The study was conducted in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the institution mentioned in the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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