Anatomy of the Posterior Antebrachial Cutaneous Nerve: Practical Information for the Surgeon Operating on the Lateral Aspect of the Elbow

Abstract

To investigate the anatomic relationships of the posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve (PABCN) to anatomic landmarks on the lateral side of the elbow. The PABCN was explored in 30 cadaveric upper extremities. Distances were noted from easily identifiable structures including the lateral epicondyle, the lateral intermuscular septum, and the radial nerve. The path of the PABCN follows the spiral groove initially, diverging as the radial nerve pierces the lateral intermuscular septum. The PABCN emerges from the posterior compartment through a hiatus in the deep fascia at a mean of 6.6 cm proximal to the lateral epicondyle and passes a mean of 2.1 cm anterior to the lateral epicondyle. The anatomic relationships determined in this study should enable the surgeon to avoid injuring the PABCN when performing surgery in the lateral elbow region.