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Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2011 Dec 15; 4(4):376-379.

http://dx.doi.org/10.3889/MJMS.1957-5773.2011.0204

Basic Science

 

Electrophysiological Evaluation of the Incidence of Martin-Gruber Anastomosis in Healthy Bosnian Population
 

Renata Hodzic¹, Nermina Piric¹, Mirsad Hodzic², Biljana Kojic¹


¹Department of Neurology, University Clinical Centre, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina; ²Department of Neurosurgery, University Clinical Centre, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Abstract

 

 

Background: Martin-Gruber anastomosis (MGA) is the well known anostomosis that occur at the various levels between the median and ulnar nerves. This anastomosis involves axons leaving either the main trunk of median nerve or the anterior interosseous nerve, crossing through the forearm to join the ulnar nerve. Knowledge of the incidence of this anastomosis is necessary because MGA can cause confusion in the assesment of nerve injuries and compressive neuropathies.

Aim: We aimed to assess the occurance and motor velocities of median to ulnar nerve communication (MGA) in the forearm of Bosnian population by electrophysiological examinations.

Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty forearms from a series of 60 volunteers (25 females, 35 males, 23-78 years of age) were studied electrophysiologically using needle recording electrodes. Volunteers with peripheral neuropathies were excluded from the study. Needle recording electrodes were places on the thenar and hypothenar muscles. The median and ulnar nerves were stimulated supramaximally at the wrist and the elbow and compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) were recorded as well as motor conduction velocities of median and ulnar nerves.

Results: Martin-Gruber anastomosis was found in 27 of 120 forearms; it was bilateral in 7 and unilateral in 13, on the right side in nine and on the left side in four forearms. There were no significant sexual differences in the incidence. In MGA, when stimulating median nerve the respond of abductor digiti minimi was registered in 11, whereas the respond of opponens pollicis when stimulating ulnar nerve was registered in 18 subjects. This finding was statistically significant.

Conclusion: With high incidence of MGA in Bosnian population, it is necessary to be aware of the existance of this anomaly, location and its possible presentation.

...................

Citation: Hodzic R, Piric N, Hodzic M, Kojic B. Electrophysiological Evaluation of the Incidence of Martin-Gruber Anastomosis in Healthy Bosnian Population. Maced J Med Sci. 2011 Dec 15; 4(4):376-379. http://dx.doi.org/10.3889/MJMS.1957-5773.2011.0204.
Key words: Martin-Gruber anastomosis; electrophysiology; median nerve; ulnar nerve; velocity.
Correspondence: Dr. Renata Hodzic. JZU UKC TUzla, Neurology, Trnovac bb, Tuzla 75000, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Phone: +387 61 720624. E-Mail: mirsad@bih.net.ba
Received: 08-Sep-2011; Revised: 03-Nov-2011; Accepted: 07-Nov-2011; Online first: 26-Nov-2011
Copyright: © 2011 Hodzic R. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

 

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- Piric N
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- Kojic B

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- Piric N
- Hodzic M
- Kojic B

 


Publication of the MJMS is supported by the Macedonian Ministry of Education and Sciences. Publisher: Institute of Immunobiology and Human GeneticsSkopje, Republic of Macedonia.

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