[Anatomical study and clinical application of long head of triceps muscle for reconstruction of shoulder abduction].
OBJECTIVE
To study the morphological character of long head of triceps muscle for clinical application in reconstruction of shoulder abduction.


METHODS
Forty-four upper extremities of fixed human adult cadavers were carefully dissected. The origins and the pedicles of blood vessels and nerves of long head of triceps muscle, as well as the maximum available size of the muscles, were measured. Six cases of clinical application of long head of triceps muscle for reconstruction of shoulder abduction were followed up for 3 to 11 months.


RESULTS
The origins in the dorsal side of long head of triceps muscle were muscular and the ventral side were tendinous, which was 7.6 to 13.3 cm in length and 1.6 to 3.4 cm in width. The distance from the origin to the neurovascular pedicle was 5.7 to 11.4 cm. The radial nerve, which innervated the muscles, could be dissected for 2.9 to 11.8 cm in length. The blood supplies to the triceps muscle were from humeral artery (43.2%), 1.0 to 6.0 cm in length and 1.6 to 2.4 mm in diameter, and from humeral profundus artery (45.5%), 1.5 to 4.4 cm in length and 0.9 to 2.4 mm in diameter, if the vessel was separated to the humeral artery, the length was 1.5 to 6.3 cm. The neurovascular pedicles were multiple branched. In the 6 cases of clinical application of the triceps muscles, the operated shoulder could abduct from 5 degrees preoperatively (0 degree to 10 degrees) to 77.3 degrees (50 degrees to 90 degrees) postoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
In accordance to the anatomical character of the triceps muscles, the long head of triceps muscle is a suitable choice for reconstruction of shoulder abduction with optimistic outcomes.
Chen
L
L
Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China 200040. chenlin4@online.sh.cn
Peng
F
F
Chen
D S
DS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000637:transplantation; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*