COURSE OF THE RADIAL NERVE IN THE VULNERABLE AREA ALONG THE SHAFT OF THE HUMERUS: A CADAVERIC STUDY

Background: The radial nerve is the most commonly injured nerve associated with humeral fracture. Moreover, the nerve could be iatrogenically injured during fixation of the humerus. Objective: The study aimed to identify the course of the radial nerve on the posterior and lateral aspects of the humerus. Methods: Thirty-three adult embalmed cadaveric specimens were included in the study. The humeral length was determined as the distance between the posterior lateral aspect of the acromion and the lateral epicondyle. The distance between the lateral epicondyle to the posterior and lateral course of the nerve were measured. Results: The average humeral length was 27.7 (±1.8) cm. The mean distance between the lateral epicondyle and posteromedial point, midposterior point, posterolateral point, midlateral point and anterolateral point were 17.4 (±1.2), 15.2 (±1.0), 12.7 (±0.8), 9.5 (±1.0) and 6.4 (±0.8) cm, respectively. Conclusion: The high variation of the course of the radial nerve along the humerus was confirmed. The results in the present study can be used as a guide to determine the posterior and lateral course of the radial nerve during surgical exploration and prevent the nerve from iatrogenic injury during orthopedic operation.