Arm is a site for frequent injuries and it is involved in many surgical procedures. Variations in the arm have immense clinical significance. During the dissection of a right upper limb, brachial artery was found to divide into radial and ulnar arteries, 3cm above the inter-epicondylar plane. The ulnar artery and the median nerve were then passing through a tunnel formed by an extensive additional humeral head of the pronator teres muscle. Two centimetres long fibromuscular tunnel formed by the humeral head of the pronator teres was found to arise from the medial intermuscular septum and also from the fibrous arch form the shaft of the humerus to the medial intermuscular septum. In the same cadaver, the superior ulnar collateral artery was found to arise from the profunda brachii artery which is otherwise a branch of the brachial artery. Accurate knowledge of these variation patterns is of considerable clinical significance in conduct of surgeries of arm, fracture management of humerus and diagnosis of various compressive neuropathies.

Concurrent morphological variations of abductor pollicis longus (APL) and extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) are seldom reported in literature. Extra slips of APL and EPB are clinically significant as they are used to reconstruct the ruptured tendons in the hand. Herein, we report bilateral morphological variations of APB and EPB in a male cadaver. On each side of forearm, APL was divided into two tendinous slips within the first compartment of extensor retinaculum. One of these slips inserted on to the radial side of base of first metacarpal bone close to the insertion of EPB, and the other slip inserted on to both abductor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis. EPB divided into two tendons slips deep to the extensor retinaculum. These slips were found to be inserted on to the dorsal surface of the base of proximal phalanx while the other inserted on to the radial aspect of the base of first metacarpal bone, close to the insertion of APL tendon. These additional slips are frequently associated with first carpo-metacarpal subluxation and de Quervain’s syndrome and may be responsible for the clinical manifestations of these diseases. In addition, knowledge of the morphological variations of APL and EPB can aid orthopaedic and plastic surgeons in performing successful tendon transplants.

Vascular variations in the abdomen are common and mostly asymptomatic. Knowledge of these variations are of tremendous clinical importance in patients undergoing invasive endovascular interventions such as liver transplantation, renal transplantation, and vascular reconstruction for congenital and acquired lesions and trans-arterial chemoembolization for the hepatic tumors. During regular dissection classes for the medical undergraduates, we encountered concurrent vascular variations in an elderly male cadaver. In the present case, we report multiple vascular anomalies involving the right hepatic artery and the right renal vein. The right hepatic artery branched off from superior mesenteric artery, and it was identified as a replaced right hepatic artery. The right kidney was drained by three renal veins, the uppermost among the three twisted around the superior branch of the right renal artery before terminating into the inferior vena cava. In addition, the left kidney was supplied by two renal arteries, and drained by a single renal vein.

Vascular variations in the neck region are not uncommon. Knowledge of incidence of morphological variations in the course and branching of the carotid arteries is important for radiological interpretation and surgical correction when they are symptomatic. Internal carotid artery (ICA) is known to show elongation in its extra cranial course. Previous studies have demonstrated the incidence and clinical symptoms of this morphological entity. However, the occurrence of elongation and looping of the external carotid artery (ECA) is seldom reported in the literature. During regular dissections, we came across a rare case of unilateral morphological variation of both ECA and ICA, in a male cadaver aged about 55 years. ICA presented a curved course with convexity directed posteriorly, at the level of the C2-C3 vertebrae. ECA presented a pronounced kinking or coiling, one inch below the level of the angle of the mandible. In addition, a linguo-facial trunk arising from the ECA also presented a pronounced kinking throughout its entire length.

Knowledge of anatomic variants of veins in the arm and axilla play a key role in planning of successful venous access. Possible anatomic variants of axillary vein, brachial vein and basilic vein and their clinical implications have been well described in the literature. We report a rare case of formation of a short axillary vein associated with complex venous communications between the basilic and brachial veins forming a venous ladder in the axilla, in formalin embalmed male cadaver. Axillary vein was formed in the upper part of the axilla by the fusion of basilic vein and unpaired brachial vein, and it was about 3cm in length. The higher-up confluence of basilic and brachial veins was also associated with presence of three communicating veins between the basilic and brachial veins in the axilla. Knowledge of reported venous variations is very useful during preoperative venous mapping and also for planning and execution of various surgical invasive procedures involving these veins.
Axillary Vein

Though congenital anomalies of the spleen are quite common, the peritoneal anomalies of the spleen are very rare. In the present case, we observed two unusual phrenico-splenic ligaments connecting the spleen to the diaphragm. Apart from this, the left lobe of the liver was elongated and was related to the diaphragmatic surface of the spleen. The splenic artery had a straight course to the spleen, indicating the possible restricted movements of the spleen. Knowledge of such unusual relation of spleen is essentially important for the surgeons as the elongated left lobe of the liver might get ruptured in addition to the spleen in the fractures of the left 9th, 10th and 11th ribs. Awareness of the straight course of the splenic artery is also of importance to Radiologists performing arterial splenoportography.

Ilioinguinal nerve is a collateral branch of lumbar plexus. Its anatomical variations in relation to adjacent musculoaponeurotic structures play a crucial role in the development of neuropathies associated with lower abdominal surgeries. In this report, we present a rare case of unusual course and branches of the ilioinguinal nerve, in a 55-year-old male cadaver. In the lateral part of inguinal canal ilioinguinal nerve gave three branches. Two of its branches pierced the external oblique aponeurosis, about 6 cm above the pubic symphysis, to supply the skin of the lower part of the anterior abdominal wall. Another branch pierced the conjoint tendon, in the medial part of the inguinal canal about 2 cm above the superficial inguinal ring. Knowledge of unusual path of these branches may be important to avoid injuries during the surgical repair of groin hernias. Further care should be taken while dealing with the conjoint tendon in the Bassini procedure.