MICROANATOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE MEDIAL ANTEBRACHIAL NERVE AS A POTENTIAL DONOR NERVE IN MAXILLOFACIAL GRAFTING

Purpose: To histologically compare the anterior branch of the medial a ntebrachial cutaneous nerve (MACN) with the sural nerve using biometri c techniques. Patients and Methods: Twenty-centimeter segments of the right and left (MACN) and sural nerves from three cadavers were analyz ed. The number of fascicles within the nerves were counted and the neu ral to connective tissue ratio was estimated. Results: Sural nerves co nsistently showed greater amounts of connective tissue between the fas cicles than the MACN. Fascicle diameter varied less throughout the len gth of the MACN. Fascicle diameter varied less throughout the length o f the MACN and it showed fewer and larger fascicles, more closely appr oximating the anatomy of the inferior alveolar nerve. Conclusion: Thes e preliminary data suggest that the MACN, on anatomic grounds, is theo retically more suited for grafting to the alveolar and lingual nerves than the sural nerve.