Variations of the brachial plexus: A study in human fetuses

Objectives: Brachial plexus, is a nerve plexus, that supplies the upper limb. Very few studies have been conducted in the fetus to know its pattern of variations. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the variations in the brachial plexus in human fetuses. Materials and method: Twenty-five formalin-fixed human fetuses were dissected bilaterally and the variations in the roots, trunks, cords and branches were identified. Results: Out of the fifty brachial plexuses studied, thirty-five plexuses were normal and fifteen showed variations. Among the fifteen variant plexuses, more number of variations were seen in the median nerve branch of the lateral cord of brachial plexus. These variations in the fetuses show that the adult pattern of variations are pre-determined in the embryological life. Conclusion: Therefore, these variations are of clinical importance for the clinicians and surgeons performing surgeries in the region of the axilla and in the upper limb.