Annals of anatomy = Anatomischer Anzeiger : official organ of the Anatomische Gesellschaft
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The aim of this study was to investigate the course of the lateral, medial and posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerves, the superficial branch of the radial nerve, the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve and the palmar branches of the median and ulnar nerve and to determine their relationship to osseous and tendinous landmarks in order to define danger zones for open and arthroscopic approaches in this region. ⋯ The method presented in this study allows the distinction of danger-zones for surgical approaches considering both normal and aberrant courses of cutaneous nerves, including all cutaneous nerves in the distal forearm, wrist and hand. Converting absolute measurements into relative numbers allowed to eliminate proportional differences in morphology and could help guide surgeons to estimate the course of cutaneous nerves in this area, thus helping to avoid iatrogenic nerve injury.