title: N. femoralis, N. obturatorius and N. ischiadicus: deviation in creation in the dogs.
abstract: Two hundred and twelve dog cadavers belonging to different breeds were examined, to investigate the formation of the femoral, obturator and the sciatic nerve. Besides the commonly described formation patterns of the mentioned nerves, some variations were also found. These variations were not gender-related, but on the other hand we discovered a certain correlation between the variations appearing in the formation of the femoral, obturator and the sciatic nerve. In 74.05% of cases, the femoral nerve was formed from ventral branches of the 4th, 5th and 6th lumbar nerve, and 16.98% of the dogs had the nerve formed from ventral branches of the 3rd, 4th and 5th lumbar nerve. Many dogs (i.e. 2.30%) had the femoral nerve formed from the ventral branches of the 5th, 6th and 7th, the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th or the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th lumbar nerve, respectively. In 1.88% of dogs in particular, the femoral nerve was formed from ventral rami of the 4th and 5th lumbar nerve. In 66.98% of the examined dogs, the obturator nerve was formed from the ventral branches of the 4th, 5th and 6th lumbar nerve, followed by 16.59% of the dogs with the obturator nerve formed from the ventral rami of the 4th and 5th lumbar nerve and 9.43% of dogs in which the nerve was formed from the ventral branches of the 5th and 6th lumbar nerve. In 4.71% of dogs, the obturator nerve was formed from the ventral rami of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th lumbar nerve, while only 2.30% of the examined dogs had the same nerve formed from the ventral branches of the 5th, 6th and 7th lumbar nerve. The sciatic nerve was formed from ventral branches of the 6th and 7th lumbar nerve and the 1st sacral nerve in 86.79% of the dogs. In 5.18% of cases, the same nerve was formed from a junction of the ventral branches of the 7th lumbar and the 1st and 2nd sacral nerve, and, in the same percentage of cases, it was formed from a junction of ventral branches of the 6th and 7th lumbar nerve and the 1st and 2nd sacral nerve. In 2.83% of the dogs, it was formed from a junction of the ventral branches of the 6th and 7th lumbar and the 1st sacral nerve. The correlation of variations established in the formation of the femoral, obturator and the sciatic nerve was not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. damir.mihelic@zg.htnet.hr
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mihelić
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mihelić
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slavica
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dezdek
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Trbojević-Vukicević
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dzaja
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Majić-Balić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D008160:Lumbosacral Plexus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009776:Obturator Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology