• Ben-gang Qin, Guo Fu, Jian-tao Yang, Hong-gang Wang, Qing-tang Zhu, Xiao-lin Liu, Jia-kai Zhu, and Li-qiang Gu.
• Department of Orthopaedic Trauma and Microsurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
• J Reconstr Microsurg. 2016 Feb 1; 32 (2): 109-13.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to provide anatomical data on modified contralateral C7 (cC7) nerve root transfers by dissecting and measuring the separable lengths of the C7 root, trunk, and divisions.Materials And MethodsFifteen adult cervicothoracic specimens were dissected and measured using Vernier calipers after exposing the brachial plexus. Measurements included the length of the C7 from the root to the trunk, the lengths of the C7 root-trunk-anterior division (and posterior division). The epineuria at the C7 root-division-cord junctions were opened until the internal nerve bundles fused together and could not be separated by microdissection. The lengths of the C7 root-trunk-anterior (and posterior) division were measured again after microdissection. The lengths of cC7 nerve of 20 patients with bracial plexus avulsion were measured using the former technique.ResultsThe length of the C7 root-trunk was 45.87 SD 10.43 mm. Before separation, the lengths of the C7 root-trunk-anterior division and the root-trunk-posterior division were 61.14 SD 13.44 and 54.63 SD 11.35 mm, respectively; after separation, the lengths were 74.67 SD 12.86 and 68.73 SD 11.86 mm, respectively. The prolonged lengths were 13.15 SD 4.26 and 14.21 SD 6.98 mm, respectively. The prolonged lengths were significantly greater (p < 0.05). The prolonged length of C7 nerve clinically was anterior division, 15.30 SD 3.76 mm and posterior division, 11.10 SD 3.01 mm.ConclusionThe C7 division lengths can be prolonged by dissecting the epineuria at the division-cord junction of the C7 nerve root.Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

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