RAMIFICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE PHRENIC NERVES IN MULES (Equus caballus X Equus asinus) DIAPHRAGMS

Resumo

It is our objective with this study the ramification of the ramification and distribution of phrenic nerves (right and left), when it reaches the muscle. It was used 40 diaphragms of mules (Equus caballus X Equus asinus) removed from adults animals; the diaphragms were isolated, washed and fixed in aqueous solution of phormoldehyde 10%, than the dissection of the pieces was made. In all the study it was observed that the phrenic nerve in mules give origin to laterodorsal trunk 35 times at right side (43.7%) and one time at left side (1.25%); simultaneous origin of the dorsal, lateral and ventral branches 15 times at left side (18.75%) and 5 times at right side (6.25%); it was also observed that the phrenic nerve form the lateroventral trunk 24 times at left side (30%), the symmetric behavior of the left and right phrenic nerves were found one time (1.25%). The dorsal branches of both sides have its distribution on the lombar part of the muscle, the lateral branches of the left and the right side have its distribution on the costal and sternal parts of the correspondent side. It was also observed the presence of connections 30 times (37.5%), being 15 connections on the left side (18.75%), 14 times on the right side (15.5%), and one time between the dorsal branches of the left and rights sides (1,25%). UNITERMS: Mules, Phrenic nerve, Diaphragm muscle.