Contribution to the anatomical study of sensory innervation of the wrist

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: describe the sensory innervation of the wrist which is essential to explore the surgical region. Methods: macroscopic dissection of the superior members to 15 fresh corpses were realized in the Anatomy Laboratory of Faculty of Medicine of PUC-SP using surgical microscope (2.5 x 340mm) as a means of magnification. Results: our dissections showed that the following nerves contribute to the sensory innervation of wrist: anterior interosseous nerve (branch of median nerve); branch cutaneous dorsal of ulnar nerve; superficial branch of radial nerve and posterior interosseous nerve (coming from the radial nerve). We did not find in our dissections the wrist innervation by medial cutaneous nerves (branch of ulnar nerve), lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm (branch of musculocutaneous nerves) and cutaneous palmar (branch of median nerve). Conclusions: the posterior interosseous nerve and anterior interosseous are primarily responsible for innervation of the wrist joint. The superficial branch nerves of radial nerve, branch cutaneous dorsal of ulnar nerve, also contribute frequently to innervate the articulation of the wrist. The deep branch of ulnar nerve and median nerve contribute uncommon and inconstantly for the innervation of the joint.