Kaplan anastomosis of the ulnar nerve: a case report.

Introduction: The sensory innervation of the hand is usually unvarying and anomalies in this area are uncommon.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a rare ulnar nerve branch called a Kaplan anastomosis, which anastomosed the dorsal cutaneous branch with the ulnar nerve prior to its bifurcation into the superficial and deep ramus.

Conclusion: Many authors have reported unusual ulnar nerve branches and knowledge of these anatomical variations is important for the interpretation of pain and sensory loss in the area sustained during injuries or surgical procedures.

Intraoperative facet joint injury during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: an experimental study.

Object: Disorders of the cervical spine can be successfully addressed by surgical intervention when the choice of such intervention takes into account the possible complications in the treated and adjacent structures. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for intraoperative trauma in cervical zygapophysial joints and to describe possible pathological changes that may occur during cervical spine surgery.

Methods: Fifteen sheep underwent surgical intervention via an anterior cervical approach; discectomy at the C5-6 level was performed.