A rare variant of ansa cervicalis was discovered during routine dissection of the neck in a male Cadaver. The superior root of the Ansa cervicalis was formed by the C1 ventral ramus. It fused with the vagus nerve in place of the hypoglossal nerve without any connection and descended into the carotid sheath with it. Then, C1 ventral ramus formed from the sheath and joined the inferior root from C2 and C3 ventral rami. We have reviewed the previous variation reports and reported a rare ansa cervicalis variation.

Introduction: The biceps brachii muscle belongs to the flexor group of muscles in the arm. It is the only flexor of the arm crossing the shoulder joint as well as the elbow joint, thereby acting on both the joints. The biceps brachii muscle is known to show variations in the number of papers.Materials & Methods: The routine dissection of the brachial region of a man Cadaver in the dissection hall of medical college at Zabol University of Medical Sciences.Findings: An accessory head of biceps brachii muscle has been observed unilaterally on the right upper limb of male Cadaver. Whereas the two heads of the biceps brachii muscles arose from their usual position, but the accessory head arose from deep fascia of the deltoid muscle and the pectoralis major muscle on the arm. The accessory head was found to fuse with the common belly of the muscle well before the bicipital tendon and its aponeurosis. This accessory head was supplied by a branch of the musculocutaneous nerves. This supernumerary head was supplied by the brachial vessels.Discussion & Conclusion: Different positions for accessory head of biceps brachii muscle is observed. Being aware of such variations is of importance both for anatomists and clinicians, especially for plastic surgeons in flap surgery of arms.

Background: Kidneys are the vital organs of the body. Left and right renal arteries supply blood to them. Variations are common in the pattern of kidney vessels and this variety includes the accessory and aberrant renal artery. Case presentation: During routine dissection of an approximately-65year-old male Cadaver, we observed that below the origin of the left main renal artery, an accessory renal artery originates from the abdominal aorta and enters the left renal hilum. Also, the left main renal artery is divided into anterior and posterior trunks before entering the hilum, that the anterior and posterior trunks are divided into three and two branches, respectively. Conclusion: Awareness of anatomy and variations associated with the kidney, such as the presence of an accessory renal artery, is of great clinical importance and helps surgeons and specialists during surgical and medical procedures.

Background: Collection of kidneys from extended criteria donors (ECD) with diagnosed brain-death forms a part of the collection program that increases the number of transplantations.Objective: To compare the results of ECD with those of standard criteria donors (SCD).Methods: In a retrospective analysis in a group of 156 kidney donors, we identified ECD donors. We detected the basic parameters of the donors before kidney collection, and then evaluated the function of the graft, the survival of the graft, and the survival of the patients after 1, 3, and 5 years of transplantation. The results were then compared with the function of the graft from those of SCD donors.Results: The ECD donors were significantly (p<0.001) older than the SCD donors. They had a higher body mass index (p=0.006) and prevalence of hypertension (p<0.001) and diabetes mellitus (p=0.004) compared to SCD donors. The graft function within the first 6 months and the survival of recipients in the first year of transplantation were significantly worse in ECD than in SCD groups (p=0.01, and 0.023, respectively). No difference in the graft survival was observed between the two groups.Conclusion: The long-term function of the graft and survival of patients and grafts in recipients of kidneys from ECD donors are comparable to SCD donors. Exploitation of the given organs for transplantation is important due to the constantly increasing demand versus limited offer of organs.

The thyrocervical trunk most commonly arises from the upper portion of the first segment of the subclavian artery, close to the medial edge of the scalenus anterior muscle and after short distance is divided to the inferior thyroid, transverse cervical, and suprascapular artery. This study reports important variations in branches of the thyrocervical trunk in a singular female Cadaver. On the right side, no thyrocervical trunk was found. The two branches which normally originate from the thyrocervical trunk had a different origin. The superficial cervical, suprascapular and internal thoracic arteries arose from the common trunk artery. An awareness of this rare variation is important because this area is used for diagnostic and surgical procedures.

Background: Arterial variations can cause many problems in treatment of patients. So, it seems that knowledge about these variations can improve the process of treatments.Case Report: During dissection of a 55 year-old male Cadaver, it was seen that radial artery had been separated from the second part of axillary artery and brachial artery had been continued in forearm as ulnar artery.Conclusion: This variation is important because radial artery is used for injection of drugs, catheterization and bypass grafting of coronary arteries. Attention to this variation may facilitate the surgical approaches and decrease the risk of arterial injuries in upper limb.

Accurate knowledge of the normal and variant arterial pattern of the upper extremities is important for reparative surgeons. During dissection of a male Cadaver, a common trunk taking origin from the third part of the axillary artery was observed. This common trunk at first gave rise to the usual branches of this part of the artery and then descended into the arm. In the arm, it gave rise to the main branches of the brachial artery and then continued as the inferior ulnar collateral artery. In this specimen, a rare pattern of auxiliary artery branching was observed. Numerous alternatives that exist during the formation of upper limb vessels seem to be responsible for anomalous arterial branching patterns.

During the past few years, researchers and practitioners have developed novel techniques, using ansa cervicalis to innervate muscles of the larynx paralyzed due to surgical procedures carried out in the chest and neck areas. During routine dissection of a middle-age male Cadaver, an unusual course of the superior root of the ansa cervicalis was observed. In this case, the superior root of the ansa cervicalis fused with the vagus and ran within the carotid sheath, and then joined the inferior root forming the ansa cervicalis in the anterior wall of the carotid sheath. The study of this case will add to our current knowledge of ansa cervicalis and thus aid prevention of injury to the nerve during various surgical procedures.

Background: The dorsalis pedis artery (DPA) is usually described as a continuation of the anterior tibial artery (ATA). It turns into the sole and participates in plantar arch formation at the base of the first interphalangeal space.Case Presentation: After dissecting the lower limb of a 44 year old male Cadaver, it was revealed that the dorsalis pedis artery is passing to the lateral of the foot. It had changed its direction to the medial of the foot as a arcuate artery.Conclusion: Awareness of these variations is very important for specialist to prevent the artery from any damages in surgical techniques, such as ankle arthroscopy. On the other hand, attention to these variations is very essential in diagnosing of common iliac artery thrombosis.

Nowadays, hand transplantation is a very challenging procedure for surgeons and researchers worldwide. Despite many problems that may occur after this surgery, some centers continue to practice this highly sophisticated procedure. Herein, we report on a 38-year-old man who received hand transplant from a 24-year-old brain-dead man. This patient had lost his right hand from the lower one-third of forearm six years before after a trauma from a mincing machine. Team members organized pre-operative research, Cadaver dissection, legal consultation, religious permission and discussion to patient. This procedure was done by 15 Khordad Plastic Surgery Transplant team on February 27, 2013 for the first time in Iran.