Turkish Neurosurgery 2011 , Vol 21 , Num 3
Anatomic Variations of the Median Nerve in the Carpal Tunnel: A Brief Review of the Literature
Emre DEMIRCAY1, Erdinc CIVELEK2, Tufan CANSEVER2, Serdar KABATAS2, Cem YILMAZ3
1Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Othopedics and Traumatology, Istanbul, Turkey
2Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
3Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.3073-10.1 Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common focal peripheral neuropathy. Increased pressure in the carpal tunnel results in median nerve compression and impaired nerve perfusion, leading to discomfort and paresthesia in the affected hand. Surgical division of the transverse carpal ligament is preferred in severe cases of CTS and should be considered when conservative measures fail. A through knowledge of the normal and variant anatomy of the median nerve in the wrist is fundamental in avoiding complications during carpal tunnel release. This paper aims to briefly review the anatomic variations of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel and its implications in carpal tunnel surgery. Keywords : Median nerve, Anatomic variation, Carpal tunnel, Transverse carpal ligament
Corresponding author : Emre Demırcay, emredemircay@hotmail.com