Topographical Anatomy of the Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta)—Part I: Thoracic Limb

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) is one of the most investigated nonhuman primate species in biomedical research since its anatomy and physiology resemble that of humans. This manuscript fulfills the researcher’s and veterinarian’s need for detailed anatomical data on the rhesus monkey thoracic limb. Several rhesus monkey cadavers were dissected to study the anatomy of the muscular, circulatory, and peripheral nerve systems of the thoracic limb in relation to each other. The anatomical structures are textually described and illustrated by means of numerous detailed colored images. ABSTRACT: Since the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) is genetically closely related to man, it is generally accepted that its anatomy and physiology are largely similar to that of humans. Consequently, this non-human primate is most commonly used as a model in biomedical research. Not only the validation of the obtained research data, but also the welfare of the captive rhesus monkeys are subject to thorough anatomical knowledge of this species. Unfortunately, anatomical literature on the rhesus monkey is scarce, outdated, and hardly available at present. Furthermore, its anatomy is only illustrated by means of line drawings or black-and-white photographs. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the anatomy of the thoracic limb of the rhesus monkey topographically, studying the various anatomical structures in relation to each other. In this manuscript, the anatomy of the thoracic limb is described per region. The structures that are visible on the different layers, from the superficial to the deepest layer, are described both in text and in numerous color images. As expected, the anatomy of the rhesus monkey is almost identical to human anatomy. However, some striking differences have been identified. This supports the necessity for an extensive publication on the anatomy of the rhesus monkey.