Yalcin Kirici

OBJECTIVES: To observe the course of the marginal mandibular branch (MMB) and its relation to the inferior border of the mandible and facial vessels. METHODS: This study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Etlik, Ankara, Turkey from February 2009 to April 2010. The 44 hemi-face specimens of 22 fetuses were selected for this study, and dissected under a stereomicroscope. The MMB relationship was evaluated between adjacent structures (like vessels and muscles) and the lower border of the mandible. RESULTS: We found a number of one to 4 branches of the MMB. The MMB ran laterally to the facial vein in 42 (95.5%) of the 44 specimens. All the branches of the MMB ran laterally to the facial artery in 30 (68.2%) of the 44 specimens. In 2 specimens, it ran medially to the facial artery. In 10 specimens, the facial artery ran between 2 branches of the MMB. In 2 specimens, the 2 branches of the MMB ran between facial artery and vein. There were no statistical differences between the left and right sides, and in both genders. CONCLUSIONS: The inferior border of the mandible may be an important landmark to avoid injury to the MMB of the facial nerve. It is for this reason, that surgeons who are willing to operate on this area should have a true knowledge and accurate judgement regarding the anatomy of this branch.

Knowing the distance between the superior and inferior border of Parkinson's triangle and the location of the abducent nerve within the cavernous sinus is important to decrease the complications which may occur during surgery. We aimed to investigate the cavernous sinus to decrease the complications that may occur during surgery to this area. Fifty MRIs without pituitary gland abnormality were chosen for radiological assessment of CS. These images were from 18 males and 32 females, with ages ranging from 9 to 58 years and a median age of 28 years. We evaluated structures within and on the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus (especially Parkinson's triangle) with magnetic resonance imaging. The position of the abducent nerve and its level according to the cranial nerves running close the lateral wall were examined. At the level of pituitary stalk, the distance between the trochlear nerve and the ophthalmic nerve ranged from 1 to 4 mm bilaterally. The abducent nerve was located between the trochlear and the ophthalmic nerves in 30% cases bilaterally. The knowledge of the position of the abducent nerve will provide a great benefit in minimizing the rate of complications that may occur during the resection of tumors of the cavernous sinus.

Kilic C, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2010 Aug;25(8):1228-1230. http://dx.doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2010.25.8.1228

The posterior interosseous nerve arises from the deep branch of the radial nerve, and compression by adjacent structures results in posterior interosseous nerve syndrome. Sixty upper limbs from 30 Turkish subjects (18 males and 12 females) were dissected to reveal the course of the posterior interosseous nerve and to examine possible compression sites at the proximal and distal edges of the supinator muscle, and the exit of the nerve from the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle. Posterior interosseous nerve syndrome is most probably caused by the tendinous part of the supinator muscle at the proximal edge.