The brachial plexus is an important nervous system structure. It can be injured during the perinatal period and by postnatal damage. The goal of this study was to assess human fetal brachial plexus variability. A total of 220 brachial plexuses were surgically prepared from 110 human fetuses aged 14-32 weeks of fetal life (50 females and 60 males) ranging in CRL from 80 to 233 mm. The study incorporated the following methods: dissectional and anthropological, digital image acquisition, digital image processing using Image J and GIMP software, and statistical methods (Statistica 9.0). Symmetry and sexual dimorphism were examined. Anomalies of the brachial plexuses were observed in 117 (53.18 %) cases. No sexual dimorphism was found. It was observed that cord variations occurred more often on the left side. Division variants (33.64 %) occurred most often, but also cords (18.18 %) as well as root nerves and terminal ramifications (15.90 %) were found. Trunk anomalies were rare and occurred in only 5.45 % of plexuses. Three height types of median nerve roots in combination with the nerve were distinguished. In one-third of cases, median nerve root connections were found below the axillary fossa and even half in the proximal part of the humerus. In conclusion, the brachial plexus was characterized for anatomical structural variability. Most often division and cord variations were observed. Anomalies occurred regardless of sex or body side except for cord variants. Brachial plexus variation recognition is significant from the neurosurgical and traumatological point of view.

Background. The correct definition of foetal age is a substantial problem in forensic medicine, gynaecology, obstetrics and anthropology. Objectives. The goal of the study was the mathematical assessment of the foetal age with the use of thorax selected dimensions. Material and Methods. The material consisted of 110 foetuses aged 4-7 months of foetal life, including 50 females in the CRL range: 80-233 mm. The following methods were incorporated: preparation, anthropological, image digital acquisition, Image J computer system measurements and statistical analysis. For each foetus the following sizes were taken: crump-rump length -CRL (v-tub), total body length -v-pl as well as brachial circumference -BC, thoracic circumference -TC and clavicular length -CLA. Results. Six monofunctional mathematical models were elaborated: Bertalanffy growth curve, three Gompertz function based models and two exponential models to assess examined parameters increase along with t age. Model no. 3 for Gompertz function revealed the biggest consistency with v-pl measurements for every determination ratio R 2 = 0.9944 for exponential model R 2 = 0.9917. Multiple regression analysis was used to elaborate mathematical formula to assess the foetal age (determination factor R 2 = 0.9997) with BC, TC parameters. Conclusions. Examined parameters BC and TC were found useful in foetal age assessment in the evaluated age range. Elaborated mathematical model can be applied in clinical practice e.g. in foetal age ultrasound determination (Adv Clin Exp Med 2014, 23, 5, 805-811).

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The results showed that cardiopulmonary abnormalities perform well as predictive factors for short- and long-term outcomes after aSAH.