Background and aim: The aim of this study was to assess the histological
structure of the median nerve and its motor branch (number and arrangement
of nerve bundles) and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve (on
the level of the carpal tunnel).
Material and methods: This study has been conducted using median nerves
dissected from cadavers stored in a 10% solution of formaldehyde at the Department
of Anatomy of the Jagiellonian University Medical College and cadavers
from the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Jagiellonian University
Medical College. After dissection the median nerves were stained with haematoxylin
and eosin and histological slides were prepared. These were later photographed
(16 x magnification) and analysed using ImageJ software. The research
protocol was approved by the Jagiellonian University Ethics Committee
(registry KBET/209/B/2002).
Results: The studied group comprised 8 women and 22 men (age between
23–92 years), yielding a total of 60 median nerves (30 right vs. 30 left). In
4 (6.67%) cases an accessory motor branch was found. The mean CSA of the
median nerve was 0.19 cm2. The median nerves from the right hand had
a statistically larger CSA (p = 0.017). The number of nerve bundles in the
median nerve varied between 13 to 38 and in the motor branch of the median
nerve between 4 to 14.
Conclusions: The nerve bundles of the median nerve, at the level of the carpal
tunnel, display no particular type of arrangement. ImageJ software proved useful
in the assessment of the histological structure of the human median nerve and
its motor branch