Fetal topography of arteries and nerves of muscles of the medial femoral group

Abstract

Introduction. A clear knowledge on the variations of blood supply and innervation of muscles in different areas of the body allows the surgeon to select the neurovascular pedicle, when performing muscle transposition operations using microsurgical techniques, to correctly choose the muscle flap, the method of replacing the defect and the localization of the donor area. The objective of the study: to clarify the information about the sources of innervation and blood supply to the gracilis muscle, adductor muscles and pectineus muscles, as well as to investigate the intramuscular distribution of nerves and arteries in the muscles of the medial group of the thigh in human fetuses aged 4-10 months. Materials and methods. The peculiarities of the fetal topography of the arteries and nerves of the medial femoral group muscles were studied in 42 human fetuses aged 4-10 months using the methods of macro microscopic preparation, vascular injection, surface staining of the prepared vessels and nerves, and morphometry. Results. It has been established that the distribution of nerves and arteries is uneven in the thickness of the muscles of the medial group of the thigh, at the same time the middle third of all adductor muscles is supplied with blood and innervated more intensively. The places where nerves penetrate into the thickness of the muscles of the medial femoral group, do not coincide with the places where the arteries enter, pectineus muscle is an exception. The nature of the intramuscular distribution of nerves and arteries depends on the structure and function of the muscle. The intramuscular nerve trunks are interconnected in the gracilis and adductor magnus muscles, forming loops and arcades. Nerve connections between the obturator and sciatic nerves are found in the thickness of the adductor magnus muscle. Conclusions. In the picture of the intramuscular distribution of nerves and arteries in the muscles of the medial group of the thigh in human fetuses, three forms can be distinguished: loose, trunk, and mixed. In the thickness of the muscles of the medial femoral group, the distribution of nerves and arteries is uneven. Segmentation is preserved in the intramuscular distribution of arteries in the muscle gracilis, adductor longus and magnus muscles, while in the distribution of nerves in these muscles segmentation is absent.

Keywords

• gracilis muscle
• adductor muscles
• pectineus muscle
• blood supply
• innervation
• fetus