The Three-Dimensional Architecture of the Internal Capsule of the Human Brain Demonstrated by Fiber Dissection Technique

Abstract

Abstract The fiber dissection technique involves peeling away white matter fiber tracts of the brain to display its three-dimensional anatomic arrangement. The intricate three-dimensional configuration and structure of the internal capsule (IC) is not well defined. By using the fiber dissection technique, our aim was to expose and study the IC to achieve a clearer conception of its configuration and relationships with neighboring white matter fibers and central nuclei. The lateral and medial aspects of the temporal lobes of twenty, previously frozen, formalin-fixed human brains were dissected under the operating microscope using the fiber dissection technique. The details of the three-dimensional arrangement of the fibers within the IC were studied and a comprehensive understanding of their relations was achieved. The white matter fiber dissection provides an enhanced perspective of the intricate architecture of the internal structure of brain. This enhanced understanding of intrinsic brain anatomy, particularly of functional highly relevant fiber systems such as the internal capsule, is essential for performing modern neurosurgical procedures.