DISTRIBUTION OF CUTANEOUS NERVES OF HANDS IN CHINESE SUBJECTS

Distributions of cutaneous nerves of the hand were observed by dissection methodin the 200 hands of 100 Chinese adult cadavers (male 67, female 33). Incidences ofdistribution of individual nerves on the dorsum of hands were as following: Superficialbranch of the radial nerve: 98.5±0.90%; dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve: 99.0±0.7%;lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm: 23.5±3.00%; posterior cutaneous nerve of theforearm: 1.0±0.7%; and medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm: 1.0±0.7%. According to the range of distribution of relevant nerves, patterns of distribution ofcutaneous nerves on the dorsum of hands can be classified into 6 types. The type withthe superficial branch of the radial nerve distributing on the dorsum of radial 2(1/2) fingers,and the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve distributing on the ulnar 2(1/2) fingers was foundin 57.0±3.5% of the 200 hands. This type was considered as the prevalent type ofChinese subjects. Cases with the ulnar nerve entirely or almost entirely substituted bythe superficial branch of the radial nerve were grouped as type V, which was found in3.5±1.3% of cases. Cases with the radial nerve completely or almost completely re-placed by the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm while the dorsal branch of the ulnarnerve remaining unchanged were found in 5.0±1.54% of cases. The significance ofthese rare cases was discussed. Pattern of cutaneous distributions on the palm was quite constant. In 98.5±0.85%of cases showed to be the median nerve supplying the radial 3(1/2) fingers while the ulnarnerve supplying the ulnar 1(1/2) fingers.