title: Superficial radial nerve-lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve anatomic variation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study focuses on an anatomic variation in which the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LACN) innervates the radial border of the dorsum of the hand and thumb in addition to, or replacing, the superficial radial nerve (RSN). Here, we propose a technique of nerve conduction that identifies this variation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied nerve conduction in 200 upper limbs of two series of 50 volunteers. We sought evidence of the aforementioned variation on the dorsum of the hand and in the thumb.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found eight occurrences of this variation on the dorsum of the hand and 11 variants on the thumb within the two respective series of 100 upper limbs studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RSN-LACN anatomic variation can be studied using nerve conduction. The knowledge of this variation is particularly important for the evaluation of proximal radial nerve injury.
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Neuroscience Clinical Research Sub-Unit (Neuro-UPC) - Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Davidovich
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Neuroscience Clinical Research Sub-Unit (Neuro-UPC) - Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Osvaldo J M
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D063405:Anatomic Variation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000294:innervation*; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009138:Musculocutaneous Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D011826:Radial Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013933:Thumb / Q000294:innervation
keywords: Anatomic variation; hand dorsum; lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve; nerve conduction; superficial radial nerve