ISPUB.COM The Internet Journal of Surgery Volume 9 Number 1 1 of 4 Duplication of Median Nerve Proximal To Carpal Tunnel H Canter, A Asku, T Safak, A Kecik Citation H Canter, A Asku, T Safak, A Kecik. Duplication of Median Nerve Proximal To Carpal Tunnel. The Internet Journal of Surgery. 2006 Volume 9 Number 1. Abstract Anatomical variation of median nerve at wrist level is important especially in traumatic injuries of the wrist and in surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Here in this case, we present a case with Lanz group 3 variation in median nerve, observed in the emergent exploration of an accidentally injured wrist. Two bundles of the median nerve discovered in exploration of the wrist were repaired separately. Furthermore, literature review is presented concerning the anatomical variations of the median nerve. INTRODUCTION Awareness of anatomical variations of peripheral nerves is important in repair of traumatic injuries and treatment of compression syndromes of these nerves, since in each situation precise dissection of the nerve is mandatory. Because of the fact that the carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common compression syndrome and wrist is one of the most common injured areas of the body parts, it is particularly useful to keep in mind the anatomical variations of the median nerve at the level of wrist and carpal tunnel. Here in this case, we present a case with Lanz group 3 variation in median nerve, observed in the emergent exploration of an accidentally injured wrist. Furthermore, literature review is presented concerning the anatomical variations of the median nerve. CASE REPORT Nineteen-year old men with a wrist cut after hitting fist to window was evaluated at the emergency department of our hospital. Along with all flexor tendons in zone V, extensor tendons of first & third compartments found to be cut with the broken glass. There was no arterial circulation at all indicating the complete cut of both radial and ulnar arteries. There was complete sensorial loss in the dermatomes of median & ulnar nerves. (Figure 1) Figure 1 Figure 1: Traumatic cut of the right wrist, demonstrating the injury of the all anatomical structures of the flexor compartment, in addition to the extensor tendons of first & third compartments Proximal to the carpal tunnel the median nerve was found to be extending as two bundles, each of which has the diameter of a normal median nerve. (Figure 2a) Each bundle was repaired separately along with all injured structures at the wrist level. (Figure 2b)