title: Brachial Plexus in the Pampas Fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus): a Descriptive and Comparative Analysis.
abstract: Twenty thoracic limbs of ten Lycalopex gymnocercus were dissected to describe origin and distribution of the nerves forming brachial plexuses. The brachial plexus resulted from the connections between the ventral branches of the last three cervical nerves (C6, C7, and C8) and first thoracic nerve (T1). These branches connected the suprascapular, subscapular, axillary, musculocutaneous, radial, median and ulnar nerves to the intrinsic musculature and connected the brachiocephalic, thoracodorsal, lateral thoracic, long thoracic, cranial pectoral and caudal pectoral nerves to the extrinsic musculature. The C7 ventral branches contribute most to the formation of the nerves (62.7%), followed by C8 (58.8%), T1 (40.0%) and C6 (24.6%). Of the 260 nerves dissected, 69.2% resulted from a combination of two or three branches, while only 30.8% originated from a single branch. The origin and innervation area of the pampas fox brachial plexus, in comparison with other domestic and wild species, were most similar to the domestic dog and wild canids from the neotropics. The results of this study can serve as a base for comparative morphofunctional analysis involving this species and development of nerve block techniques. Anat Rec, 300:537-548, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors: Laboratory of Animal Anatomy, Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil.|Laboratory of Wild Animals Teaching and Research, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
authors: Paulo
authors: P
authors: de Souza Junior
authors: Laboratory of Animal Anatomy, Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil.
authors: Natan
authors: N
authors: da Cruz de Carvalho
authors: Laboratory of Animal Anatomy, Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil.
authors: Karine
authors: K
authors: de Mattos
authors: Department of Animal Biology, Animal Anatomy Area, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Marcelo
authors: M
authors: Abidu Figueiredo
authors: Laboratory of Wild Animals Teaching and Research, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
authors: André
authors: A
authors: Luiz Quagliatto Santos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005552:Forelimb / Q000294:innervation*; D005589:Foxes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male
keywords: Azarás fox; forelimb; peripheral nervous system; thoracic limb; wild carnivorans