Anatomic pattern of the terminal branches of posterior interosseous nerve.

To understand the lesion of the terminal branches of posterior interosseous nerve (PIN), an anatomic study was carried out. Thirty adult cadaver arms were dissected and the anatomic pattern of the nerve was documented. The distance between the point at which the nerve divides into branches and the distal edge of the supinator were measured, as well as the length of each nerve branch to its muscle-entering sites. The number of branches innervating each muscle was recorded. It was found that the PIN was branching to multiple short branches and a single deep long branch after leaving the supinator muscle with great morphometric and schematic variances. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.