Communication of the musculocutaneous nerve with the median nerve

Objective: To study the frequency of occurrence as well as the course and v ariations in the communicating branch of the musculocutaneous nerve and the relationship of the communicating branch to other structures in the upper arms of Zimbabwean subjects. Design: Cross sectional anatomical dissections. Setting: Department of Anatomy, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Hara re, Zimbabwe. Subjects: Twenty four upper limbs from twelve preserved cadavers of both se xes. Results: Eight instances of communication from musculocutaneous nerve to th e median nerve were observed. Bilateral communication was observed in two c adavers, The communicating branch arose either before or after it pierced t he coracobrachialis muscle. In one instance the whole musculocutaneous nerv e joined the median nerve. In two instances, the musculocutaneous nerve did not pierce the coracobrachialis muscle. In two instances the communicating branch arose after the origin of the muscular branch to the biceps brachii , Conclusions: The communicating branch was present in 33 % of the cases, The communicating branch when present varied considerably in respect of its or igin and its union with the median nerve. In one extreme case, the whole mu sculocutaneous nerve joined the median nerve and the muscular branches to t he biceps brachii and brachilis arose from the median nerve. The clinician or surgeon should be aware of the presence of communicating branch and its variations in origin, course and relationships in the upper arm.