In this study, we focused on finding out whether branching patterns of the common fibular (CFN) and superficial fibular (SFN) nerves change throughout the early period of life. The popliteal fossa and legs on both sides of 20 fetuses (13 females and 7 males) were dissected. The ages of the fetuses varied between 20 and 36 weeks. The levels where the CFN diverged from the sciatic nerve, the CFN diverged to its terminal branches, and the cutaneous branches of the SFN became superficial and diverged were evaluated, together with the similarity of the patterns of these nerves on both sides. We observed that, comparing with the results of previous studies on adults, both the sciatic and the CFNs in the fetuses were diverging into their terminal branches more distally. Additionally, the SFN appeared to become superficial more proximally in the fetus than in the adult. SFN was piercing the crural fascia before diverging into its terminal branches in 29 legs. Only in 8 of them, it was becoming superficial within the middle one-third of the leg, which was observed more frequently in males (42.9% of 14 legs) than in females (13.3% of 15 legs). But there was no statistically significant gender difference (P = 0.07). The medial dorsal cutaneous (MDCN) and intermediate dorsal cutaneous (IDCN) nerves which were piercing the crural fascia separately were observed in 27.5% of the subjects, all females. In these, MDCN was piercing the fascia superior to the level where the SPN becomes superficial, whereas the IDCN was piercing it to a level lower to this and always in the inferior one-third of the leg. We suggest that the detailed information about the branching patterns of the CPN and SPN in early ages will be beneficial, particularly in tumor and deformity surgery. The reason for different patterns and piercing levels of the nerves may be the effect of the elongating extremity during aging that enforces the fascia and modifies its position with a more stable structure, the nerve.

A AB BS S T TR RA AC CT T O Ob b j je ec c t ti i v ve e: : Fe tal de ve lop ment has been a sub ject of gre at in te rest from ear li est ti mes to the pre sent day and can to day ea sily be analy zed using ul tra so und (US) and si mi lar de vi ces. The lengths or di a me ters of va ri o us fe tal struc tu res are me a su red, and in tra u te ri ne age and de ve lopment can thus be mo ni to red. Our study in ves ti ga tes the va lu e of a se ri es of lengths me a su red in the up per ex tre mity in the mo ni to ring of in tra u te ri ne age and de ve lop ment. M Ma a t te e r ri i a al l a an nd d M Me et t h ho od ds s: : We me a su red the fo re arm length, hand length, wrist width and el bow widths of 21 fe tu ses (seven ma les, 14 fe ma les) es ti ma ted at 17.0-35.8 we eks in tra u te ri ne age ac cor ding to fo ot length and with no vi sib le ab nor ma li ti es. The se we re com pa red to each other and analyzed with respect to gen der. Me a su re ments we re ta ken using di vi ders and a ver ni er di gi tal ca li per. R Re e s su ul lt ts s: : No differences were de ter mi ned between the groups statistically for the parameters measured and when they were compared for gender. El bow and wrist widths and hand, fo re arm and fo ot lengths ob ta i ned from fe tuses and the ra ti os of some of the se me a su re ments de mons tra ted con si de rab le cor re la ti on (si mi la rity) with me a su re ments and pro por ti ons on the op po si te si de of the body and with in tra u te ri ne age. C Co on nc c l lu u s si i o on n: : Me a su rab le wrist and el bow widths and fo re arm, hand and fo ot length in who le or frag men ted fe tu ses we re de ter mi ned to be in di vi du ally va lu ab le in di ag no sing ges ta ti o nal age. It was al so conc lu ded that el bow and wrist width to fo re arm length ra ti os on the sa me si de we re important in mo ni to ring in tra u te ri ne ex tre mity de ve lop ment.K Ke ey y W Wo or rd ds s: : Ges ta ti o nal age; fe tal de ve lop ment; fo re arm; hand; wrist; el bow Ö ÖZ ZE ET T A Am ma aç ç: : İlk za man lar dan gü nü mü ze me rak uyan dı ran fe tal ge li şim bu gün ul tra so nog ra fi (US) ve ben ze ri ci haz la rın sağ la mış ol du ğu ola nak lar la ra hat lık la de ğer len di ri le bil mek te dir. Bu nun için bir ta kım fe tal ya pı la rın uzun luk la rı ya da çev re le ri öl çül mek te dir. Böy le ce in tra u te rin yaş ve ge lişim ta kip edi le bil mek te dir. Ça lış ma mız da üst ex tre mi te de öl çü len bir ta kım uzun luk la rın in tra ute rin yaş ve ge li şi min ta ki bin de ki de ğe ri sor gu lan dı. G Ge e r re eç ç v ve e Y Yö ön n t te em m l le er r: : İntra u te rin yaş la rı ayak uzun luk la rı na gö re 17.9-35.8 haf ta lar ile iliş ki len di ri len 21 adet (yedi er kek, 14 ka dın) gö rü nür anoma li si ola ma yan fe tu sun; ön kol uzun lu ğu, el uzun lu ğu, el bi le ği ge niş li ği ve dir sek ge niş li ği öl çül -dü. Top lam da ve cin si yet ay rı mı ya pı la rak bir bir le ri ile kar şı laş tı rıl dı lar. Öl çüm ler açı öl çer ve ver ni er di ji tal ...

An accessory flexor digitorum longus muscle associated with a high division of the tibial nerve was encountered during routine dissection in the right leg of a newborn cadaver. The tibial nerve divided into its two terminal branches at a higher level than normal with a small branch from the tibial nerve contributing to one of the terminal branches. In addition, an accessory flexor digitorum longus muscle was observed to pass between the terminal branches of the tibial nerve.

Anencephaly occurs in 1:1,000 to 1:20,000 infants who are potential donors in pediatric heart transplantation, so it is important to define any morphologic differences between the anencephalic and normal heart in newborns. The dimensions of the heart in anencephalics, however, may differ. For example, the absence of cerebral tissue in anencephalic fetuses may decrease the heart load resulting in a smaller heart. The position of the heart in the thoracic cavity of an anencephalic fetus may affect the size and shape of the heart. This study compares the ventricular volumes and the inlet and outlet lengths of right and left ventricles in 11 normal and 11 anencephalic fetuses of gestational ages between 27 and 35 weeks. There was no statistically significant difference between the right ventricular volumes of normal and anencephalic fetuses, however, the difference between the left ventricular volumes was found to be almost statistically significant (P = 0.07). No statistically significant difference was found between the right and left ventricular volumes of normal fetuses; in anencephalic fetuses left ventricular volumes were found to be significantly smaller than right ventricular volumes (P = 0.05). The outlet length of the right ventricle and the inlet and outlet lengths of left ventricle in anencephalic fetuses were found to be short in comparison with those of normal fetuses (P = 0.01, P = 0.008, P = 0.01). It is proposed that anencephalics, because of these morphologic differences, should be reconsidered as possible donors for heart transplantation.

The heart of an anencephalic baby can be used as a donor after death. There exists insufficient information in literature, however, for the possible morphological differences in anencephalic hearts. This study compares ventricular myocardial thicknesses of anencephalic fetuses with normal fetuses in the same gestational age group. The comparison was made histologically on the slices taken from three levels of anterior and posterior walls of the left and right ventricles and from two levels of the interventricular septum. When each level was taken into account separately, the middle part of the left ventricular anterior wall was detected thinner in anencephalics (P = 0.010). When the mean value for each wall (anterior and posterior) was taken into account, left ventricular anterior wall was found thinner in anencephalics (P = 0.005). When the mean value for each ventricle was compared, the left ventricular wall was detected thinner in anencephalics (P = 0.025). These results support the idea that absence of the cerebral cortex results in modifications of the fetal heart. Because differences were limited to the left ventricular anterior wall non-homogenously, factors other than the decrease in the heart load (e.g., changes in intrathoracic anatomy) might also affect the myocardial features. When the mean value of right ventricle was compared to the left within the normal and anencephalic groups separately, the left ventricle was thicker than the right in normal fetuses (P = 0.016). In anencephalics the difference between two ventricular walls was insignificant (P = 0.084). This supports the left ventricular dominance in normal fetuses but not in anencephalics for the 27-34 weeks of age group. We suggest that when an anencephalic heart is intended to use as a donor, possible alterations presented in this article should be taken into account.