LAUSR

Address for Correspondence: Dr. Pushpa Burute, Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, BKL Walawalkar Rural Medical College, Sawarde, DistRatnagiri, Maharashtra, India 415606 E-Mail: [email protected] Introduction: Muscular variations in the form of accessory muscles are common and observed during cadaveric dissections, surgeries or investigative radiological procedures. Knowledge of such variations in upper limb is useful for hand surgeons and neurosurgeons. Materials and Methods: Total 156 (80 of right side and 76 of left side) upper limbs of unknown sex were dissected for presence of accessory muscles in the flexor compartment of the forearm. Observed accessory bellies and anatomical variant muscles were studied for its origin and insertion, size and shape and its important relations. Observations: Accessory head for the flexor pollicis longus (ahFPL) was the most common variation found in 56 (36%) limbs. Accessory head for the flexor digitorum profundus (ahFDP) was observed in five (3.2%) limbs, and accessory head for the flexor digitorum superficialis (ahFDS) in two limbs (1.2%,). Two accessory bellies in the same hand with common or separate origin were found in 5 limbs (3.2%). An anatomical variant flexor carpi radialis brevis (FCRB), which is not very common, was found in one limb. Conclusion: Accessory bellies of the muscles in the forearm are known for compression neuropathies like anterior interosseous nerve syndrome (AINS). Available accessory muscles like FCRB could be used for tendon transfers in patients with arthritis of thumb. Awareness of such variations helps in diagnosis of neuropathies, to avoid complications during surgeries and most importantly accessory muscles could be used for tendon graft/ transfer to to transform disability into functional hands.