The position of the axillary nerve in the deltoid muscle. A cadaveric study.

In 134 deltoid preparations taken from 67 fresh cadavers we examined the position of the axillary nerve in relation to the upper border of the muscle. The vertical distances from the upper deltoid border to the nerve in 17 of 67 cadavers was less than 4 cm in both shoulders. The minimal distance, measured from the mid-middle portion of the deltoid to the axillary nerve, was 2 cm. There was a significant negative correlation between the deltoid ratio (width/length) and the vertical distance, measured in all examined sites. The shorter the deltoid length the greater the danger of damaging the nerve in the short distance during surgical splitting of the muscle.