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The trochlear nerve: anatomy by microdissection

Le nerf trochléaire (IV): anatomie par microdissection

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Summary

This work is based on the microscopic study of 30 trochlear nerve trunks (15 heads). In 17 cases, the trunk arose from two nerve bundles, in 8 cases from one bundle, and for the other 5 nerves, three or four bundles. The mean total length of the trochlear nerve was 86 mm. The nerve may be separated into the 3 following parts: infratentorial, intracavernous, intraorbital. In all 30 cases studied, the first part of the nerve was infratentorial, thus leading us to suggest the term “infratentorial part” for this segment of the nerve. In 27 cases, contact was found with the superior cerebellar artery, in the infratentorial part. In the intracavernous part of ten nerves we found two rami tentorii and in eight cases fibers were exchanged with the ophthalmic nerve. In the orbit, 18 trochlear nerves crossed the posterior ethmoidal artery. 23 trochlear nerves ended on the medial face of the superior oblique muscle. The remaining 7 ended at the superior border of the muscle.

Résumé

Ce travail anatomique repose sur l'étude microscopique du tronc nerveux de 30 nerfs trochléaires (15 têtes). Dans 17 cas, le tronc naît de deux faisceaux, dans 8 cas d'un faisceau, et pour les 5 autres nerfs de trois ou quatre faisceaux. La longueur totale du nerf trochléaire est en moyenne de 86 mm, pour un diamètre de 0,75 à 1 mm. Le nerf peut être divisé en trois portions : infratentorielle, intracaverneuse et intraorbitaire. Pour les 30 nerfs disséqués, la première partie est strictement en dessous du plan de l'incisure de la tente, nous permettant de définir le terme de “portion infratentoriale”. Dans cette portion un contact avec l'artère cérébelleuse supérieure a été trouvé dans 27 cas. Dans la portion intracaverneuse de dix nerfs trochléaires nous avons trouvé deux nerfs avec un ramus tentorii et huit nerfs qui échangent des fibres avec le nerf ophtalmique. La portion intraorbitaire croise l'artère ethmoïdale postérieure dans 18 cas. 23 nerfs trochléaires se terminent sur la face médiale du muscle grand oblique, les 7 autres sur son bord supérieur.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service d'Ophtalmologie, Hôpital Gui de Chauliac, 2, avenue Bertin Sans, F-34059, Montpellier Cedex, France

    M Villain, I Aubry & B Arnaud

  2. Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Gui de Chauliac, 2, avenue Bertin Sans, F-34059, Montpellier Cedex, France

    F Segnarbieux

  3. Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Faculté de Médecine, F-34000, Montpellier, France

    F Bonnel

Authors
  1. M Villain
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  2. F Segnarbieux
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  3. F Bonnel
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  4. I Aubry
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  5. B Arnaud
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Villain, M., Segnarbieux, F., Bonnel, F. et al. The trochlear nerve: anatomy by microdissection. Surg Radiol Anat 15, 169–173 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01627696

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01627696

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