The American journal of orthopedics
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Many studies have attempted to define a safety zone for the axillary nerve in lateral approaches to the deltoid, but with varying results. The main objective of our study was to analyze the variations in the position of this nerve, especially in relation to the length of the humerus. Overall, 16 cadaveric shoulders were dissected. ⋯ Correlation analysis was performed between each distance and the length of the humerus. The average anterior and posterior distance were 7.2 cm ± 0.84 cm and 7.9 cm ± 0.92 cm, respectively; the average length of the humerus was 30.7 cm ± 3.2 cm. A significantly high positive correlation was found between the length of the humerus and both anterior distance (P = .94), and posterior distance (P = .92). In shoulder surgery, prior measurement of the length of the humerus could predict the distance between the acromion and the axillary nerve, and determine its position.