Abstract

Waseem Al Talalwah

The dorsal branch of ulnar nerve is usually arising proximal to the wrist innervating the skin on the dorsal aspect of the medial 1½ digits. The present study clarifies significance of the variable origin of the dorsal branch in case of coexistent ulnar palsy and neuroma result in diverse clinical pictures. Taking the distance between the medial epicondyle and the pisiform and dividing it into thirds (proximal, middle, distal) the current study, based on the dissection of 76upper limbs, found that the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve hada variable origin in the forearm, arising in the proximal, middle and distalthirds in 3.9%, 17.2%, 78.9% of specimens respectively. With a variability of dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve, there is a variability of clinical presentation according to site of ulnar nerve injury occurring before or after its origin. As a result, the injury occurring before the origin dorsal branch of ulnar nerve may present withdermatome and myetom dysfunction while the injury occurring after the origin dorsal branch of ulnar nerve may present withdermatome dysfunction. Therefore, the study clarifie