Abstract
It is likely that the cutaneous nerves are injured by the intravenous injection. In this study, the topographical relations between cutaneous veins and nerves in the human upper extremity were studied by macroscopy and light microscopy. Seven arms of six adult cadavers were used.
The cutaneous veins of lean men lied in the depth of approximately 1 - 2 mm from the surfuce, while fatly men were in the depth of 5 - 10 mm. Two main branches derived from the medial antebrachiel cutaneous nerve (MACN) ran in close contact with the medial and dorsal or the medial and lateral of the basilic vein (BV). At the junction of the BV and the median cubital vein, the branches of the MACN clossed through the lateral and dorsal surfaces of vessels.
Two main branches derived from the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LACN) ran along the both sides of the cephalic vein. One or two branches deriverd from either the MACN or LACN accompanied the median cubital vein (MCV). In conclusion, the cubital cutaneous nerves were richest in the BV, and were least in the MCV. It can be used to base of skill, we can know positional relationship of cutaneous vein and nerve.
