title: Five Roots Pattern of Median Nerve Formation.
abstract: An unusual combination of median nerve's variations has been encountered in a male cadaver during routine educational dissection. In particular, the median nerve was formed by five roots; three roots originated from the lateral cord of the brachial plexus joined individually the median nerve's medial root. The latter (fourth) root was united with the lateral (fifth) root of the median nerve forming the median nerve distally in the upper arm and not the axilla as usually. In addition, the median nerve was situated medial to the brachial artery. We review comprehensively the relevant variants, their embryologic development and their potential clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Natsis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. g_paraskevas@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paraskevas
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tzika
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000002:abnormalities; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000002:abnormalities; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D005542:Forearm / Q000294:innervation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000002:abnormalities*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation
keywords: Brachial plexus; Five roots; Formation; Median nerve