Recurrent laryngeal nerve landmarks revisited.

Background: The aim of this work was to evaluate, to prove their reliability, the different surgical landmarks previously proposed as a mean to locate the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN).

Methods: The necks of 143 (68 male and 76 female) human adult embalmed cadavers were examined. RLN origin and length and its relationship to different landmarks were recorded and results compared with those previously reported.

Obturator artery revisited.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The aim of this work is to analyse the variability of the obturator artery (oa), unify previous criteria and propose a simple classification for clinical use.

Methods: A sample of 119 adult human embalmed cadavers was used. Origin and course of the oa in relation with the external iliac artery, internal iliac artery and inferior epigastric artery were studied.

The anatomy of sartorius muscle and its implications for sarcoma radiotherapy.

Purpose: Controversy exists as to whether sartorius muscle is completely invested in fascia. If it is, then direct tumour involvement from soft tissue sarcoma of the anterior thigh would be unlikely and would justify omitting sartorius from the radiotherapy volume.

Subjects And Methods: Eight thighs in six cadavers were examined in the dissecting room.

Neurovascular anatomy and variation in the fourth, fifth, and sixth intercostal spaces in the mid-axillary line: a cadaveric study in respect of chest drain insertion.

Chest drains are normally inserted in the fifth intercostal space in the mid-axillary line. The classical technique for chest drain insertion involves locating the drain in an interspace just superior to the inferior rib, so as to avoid the neurovascular bundle. While teaching thoracic wall anatomy on cadavers, considerable variation was noted in the position of the neurovascular bundles, frequently lying well away from the generally accepted subcostal groove.