Accomplishments
Study of Variant Lumbricals of Hand
- Abstract
- PDF Full Text
Aim: To study the Lumbricals of Hand. Materials and Methods: 100 upper limbs of 50 donated embalmed cadavers (45 males & 5 females) of age group ranging from 70 to 80 years were dissected in the department of Anatomy at K. J. Somaiya Medical College, Sion, Mumbai, INDIA. The study was carried out to document the variations in the origin, insertion, innervations and the extension of lumbrical muscle. The variant lumbricals were observed in 20 specimens. The neurovascular pattern in the palm was also observed. The photographs of the variation of the lumbricals were taken for proper documentation. Observations:The normal lumbricals were observed in 80% of the specimens and the remaining 20% specimens showed the variations like double first lumbrical, bipennate second lumbrical, absence of third lumbrical, hypertrophied first lumbrical. In 30% specimens, the first three lumbricals are supplied by median nerve while in 20% specimens the last three lumbricals are supplied by ulnar nerve. Conclusion: The variant lumbricals may cause carpal tunnel syndrome by compressing the median nerve. Hypertrophy of the lumbricals could compress the radial and ulnar arteries of the fingers, causing chronic sub ischemia. Hence the existence of variant lumbricals should be kept in mind by surgeons operating on hand.