Clinical anatomy : official journal of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists & the British Association of Clinical Anatomists
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Although the arachnoid membranes have been known for more than 300 years, the anatomy of the arachnoid membranes has not been studied in detail. This study was performed to explore the microanatomical features of the cranial arachnoid membranes. The arachnoid membranes and cisterns were observed in eight Han Chinese adult human cadaveric brains with an operating microscope, without staining of intracranial structures or injection of colored material into blood vessels. ⋯ On the basis of the arachnoid membranes we identified, the arachnoidal limits of the cisterns were discussed. The microsurgical anatomical research on the arachnoid membranes is a supplement to the anatomical study of the subarachnoid cisterns. The understanding of the topographical features of the arachnoid membranes is valuable to the reasonable dissection of the cisterns and the minimally invasive manipulations during microsurgical procedures.