Abstract:

Objective　To explore applied anatomy of femoral branch to obturator nerve transfer for repair of obturator nerve injury and obturator nerve transfer for femoral nerve repair.　Methods　The length of the muscular branches of the femoral and obturator nerves were measured in 20 emblamed cadavers using vernier caliper. In six fresh cadavers that died within three to ten hours，the femoral and obturator nerves were collected and stained by Karnovsky-Roots method for determination of the transection area and and the fibers by Leica image analyzer.　Results　The long muscular branch to vastus medialis was longest in length and the proximal transection area was largest among the muscular branches of femoral nerve; the gracilis branch was longest in length and the branch to adductor magnus was largest in transection area among muscular branches of obturator nerve. The number of somatic motor fibers was highest in each muscle branches. The number of somatic motor fibers of vastus medialis long branch was highest among muscular branches of femoral nerve, adductor magnus branch was highest and gracilis branch was second among muscular branches of obturator nerve. The content of γ - thin myelinated nerve fibers, vastus medialis short branch and rectus femoris branch were highest other in muscular branches of femoral nerve and adductor brevis branch were highest in muscular branches of obturator nerve.　Conclusions　Considering the length, proximal cross-sectional area and the number of the nerve fiber in each muscle branch, in the femoral and obturator nerve injury repair, the vastus medialis long branch and gracilis branch should be donor nerves; the vastus medialis short branch and rectus femoris branch and adductor magnus branch should be receptor nerves.

Key words: Femoral nerve, Obturator nerve, Muscular branches, Nerve repair