title: Do anthropometric measurements of the hand impact the histological structure of the human median nerve at the level of the carpal tunnel?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The literature lacks data on the histological structure of the median nerve on the level of the carpal tunnel, and its possible correlations with the anthropometric measurements of the hand.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the anthropometric measurements of human cadaver hands and their median nerves histological structure and whether a correlation existed between these two.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study has been conducted using cadavers stored in a 10% solution of formaldehyde at the Department of Anatomy of the Jagiellonian University Medical College (JUMC) and cadavers from the Department of Forensic Medicine JUMC. Before dissection anthropometric measurements were carried out. After dissection the median nerves were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and histological slides were prepared. These were later photographed (16 x magnification) and analysed using ImageJ software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The studied group comprised 8 women and 22 men (age between 23-92 years). Anthropometric measurements comparison by gender revealed statistically significantly larger CR-CU, MR-MU and TS-ID distances in men then in women. When comparing sides, the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the right median nerve (0.216 +/- 0.06 cm2) was statistically significantly larger (p = 0.017) then the CSA of the left median nerve (0.173 +/- 0.05 cm2). No correlation was noted between the anthropometric and histological measurements obtained in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anthropometric measurements of the hand do not impact the histological structure of the human median nerve at the level of the carpal tunnel. Nerve bundles of the median nerve, at the level of the carpal tunnel, display no particular type of arrangement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland. krzysztof.tomaszewski@uj.edu.pl
authors.forename: Krzysztof A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Tomaszewski
authors.forename: Iwona M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Tomaszewska
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kurzydło
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skrzat
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matuszyk
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kłosiński
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mizia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D002102:Cadaver; D002348:Carpal Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014953:Wrist / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D055815:Young Adult