Superficial radial nerve–lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve anatomic variation

INTRODUCTION: 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. DISCUSSION: 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.