The macroanatomy of the brachial plexus and its nerves in the common buzzard (Buteo buteo)

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the anatomical structure of the brachial plexus in the common buzzard (Buteo buteo). Five common buzzards (two females and three males) provided by the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre of Kafkas University were used. The nerves of the brachial plexus and the accessory brachial plexus were dissected and photographed. Two plexuses were found the brachial plexus and the accessory brachial plexus. It was also found that the v. jugularis, the a. carotis communis and the n. vagus were located medially of the brachial plexus, while the v. subclavia and the a. subclavia were located in the caudal part of the plexus. In addition, it was observed that the accessory brachial plexus was located in the cranial region, and that it originated from a merger of the ventral branches of cervical spinal nerve 10 and 11 (C10 and C11). The mean diameters of C10 and C11 were measured as 0.49 [+ or -] 0.07 and 0.69 [+ or -]0.10 mm, respectively. It was found that the brachial plexus originated from a merger of the ventral branches of the last three cervical spinal nerves (C11, C12, and C13) with the ventral branches of the first two thoracic (T1 and T2) spinal nerves. There was no gender difference in terms of the formation of the brachial plexus and the accessory brachial plexus. The diameters of these branches, which joined at the point of origin of the brachial plexus, were measured as 0.69 [+ or -] 0.10 (C11), 1.27 [+ or -] 0.04 (C12), 2.13 [+ or -] 0.11 (C13), 1.81 [+ or -] 0.14 (T1) and 0.98 [+ or -] 0.14 mm (T2). Thus, the formation of the brachial plexus in the common buzzard, the spinal nerves that formed the plexus, and the innervation areas of these nerves were observed and presented. Key words: neuroanatomy, avian, brachial plexus, common buzzard