Anatomic basis of vascularized ulnar nerve graft by the pedicle of the superior collateral ulnar artery.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the anatomic basis of vascularized ulnar nerve graft by the pedicle of the superior collateral ulnar artery (SCUA).


METHODS
Twenty-two fresh cadaver upper extremities injected i ntra-arterially with latex were dissected to study the extrinsic blood supply of the ulnar nerve. Other 6 fresh upper extremities were used to analyze the blood supply range of SCUA inside the ulnar nerve by microangiographic and histological methods.


RESULTS
The ulnar nerve was supplied by a branch of the lateral thoracic artery or directly by the axillary artery in the axillary section, by b ranches of SCUA in the upper arm, and by branches from the anastomosis of the collateral arteries and the posterior branch of the recurrent ulnar artery in the elbow. SCUA could supply the whole ulnar nerve from the axilla to the wrist.


CONCLUSIONS
The ulnar nerve can be used as a vascularized nerve graft by the pedicle of SCUA in treatment of brachial plexus roots avulsion by C7 transfer from healthy side.
Xu
J
J
Department of Orthopedics and Hand Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China.
Gu
Y
Y
Lao
J
J
Cheng
X
X
Dong
Z
Z
D006801:Humans; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D017535:Ulnar Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000098:blood supply*