The anatomy of (A) the lumbosacral nerve plexus—its relation to variations of vertebral segmentation, and (B), the posterior sacral nerve plexus

Abstract

This analysis has been made from a study of 228 dissections in 114 human cadavers, of which 62 were black and 52 white, 106 male and 8 female. Since there was such a marked discrepancy relative to sex and since the incidence of vertebral and nerve plexus variations were approximately equal in the two sexes, a single set of statistics has been tabulated. The greater frequency of the anteriorly placed lumbosacral plexus in white subjects and of the posterior type in negroes noted by Bardeen in 246 subjects, of whom 172 were negroes, was not corroborated in our study.

Species and strain differences in rodent sciatic nerve anatomy: Implications for studies of neuropathic pain

“…The dominant root of the sciatic nerve may even differ between strains, as L4 is largest in C57 and F2 mice, whereas L3 is somewhat larger than L4 in DBA mice. This inter-strain effect may in part be attributable to the shorter lumbar vertebral column in C57 strain compared to DBA mice, since a rostral shift in the bony lumbosacral junction is associated with a comparable rostral shift in the origin of neuronal origins in humans [13,25,32] and mice [16]. However, we also discovered large inter-strain differences in proportionate contributions to the sciatic nerve in rats, which all shared a common 6/6 bony pattern.…”

Variations in the course of the superior gluteal artery in relation to the lumbosacral plexus

“…Segmental variation in the formation of the sacral plexus has been studied by various authors (Eisler, 1892;Paterson, 1894;Bardeen and Elting, 1901;Horwitz, 1939, Kawasaki, 1940Kushida, 1940;Kudo, 1984;Chiba et al, 1994). Furthermore, a number of researchers have used the furcal nerve (FN)-the boundary between the lumbar plexus and the sacral plexus-as a guide to the arrangement of the plexus itself (Jhering, 1878;Eisler, 1892;Paterson, 1894;Bardeen and Elting, 1901;Horwitz, 1939;Kawasaki, 1940, Matsuyama, 1950Kasai, 1957;Morikawa, 1971;Kumaki, 1981;Chiba, 1981;Kudo, 1984;Chiba et al, 1994;Tokita et al, 2009, Anetai et al, 2010. The FN usually arises from L4 and trifurcates into branches that join the femoral nerve, obturator nerve and lumbosacral trunk.…”

“…The FN usually arises from L4 and trifurcates into branches that join the femoral nerve, obturator nerve and lumbosacral trunk. According to several reports, precise observation of the origin of the FN can explain both the remarkable variations between segments and the slight deviations within each segment (Eisler, 1892;Bardeen and Elting, 1901;Horwitz, 1939;Matsuyama, 1950;Chiba, 1981;Kudo, 1984;Chiba et al, 1994;Tokita et al, 2009, Anetai et al, 2010. Slight deviation can be judged from the size of the branch of the lumbosacral trunk originating from L4.…”

Gross Anatomy of the Peripheral Nervous System

“…The general features of the lumbar plexus are discussed further elsewhere (see Chapter 56). 1,27,71 Variations. As in the case of the brachial plexus, prefixation and postfixation of the lumbrosacral plexus in the sense of complete shifts upward or downward are uncommon.…”

“…The lateral branches, together with those of the lower lumbar and a contribution from the fifth sacral, form the dorsal sacral plexus immediately behind the sacrum and coccyx. 27 Loops of this plexus give off two or three middle clunial nerves (though not invariably), which pierce the overlying gluteus maximus and supply the skin of the buttock. The dorsal rami of the fifth sacral and coccygeal nerves lack medial and lateral branches; they communicate (often forming a single nerve) and supply adjacent ligaments and overlying skin.…”