Ramification and distribution of the right and left phrenic nerves in diaphragm of Jaffarabadi buffaloes

Abstract

The ramification of the phrenic nerves and their distribution in the diaphragm were studied in 30 male, adult, Jaffarabadi buffaloes. The results obtained permit the following conclusions: 1) the right phrenic nerve bifurcates in a dorsal branch and a ventrolateral trunk (26.6%) or in a ventral branch and a dorsolateral trunk (53.3%), or it trifurcates in a dorsal, a lateral and a ventral branches (20.0%); the left phrenic nerve may show the first (86.6%) or the third (13.3%) of the described comportments, that can appear simetrically sometimes (i, e.: 26.6% and 6.6%); 2) the right dorsal branch innervates only the right lumbar part of the diaphragm (26.6%) or it and: the adventitia of the adjacent portion of the vena cava caudalis (40.0%); the right dorsal foliole (6.6%); both related structures (3.3%); the dorsal portion and the costal part of the diaphragm and the mentioned adventitia (6.6%). The left dorsal branch innervates the left lombar part of the diaphragm (73.3%)or it and: the right lombar part (23.3%) or the left dorsal foliole (3.3%); 3) the right and the left lateral branches innervate only the costal part of the some side (respectively 93.3% and 96.6%) or it and the correspondent dorsal foliole (respectively 6.6% and 3.3%); 4) the right ventral branch ever innervates the correspondent esternal part and sometimes the lateral and ventral portions of the costal part (53.3%) or only the ventral one (3.3%), the ventral portion and tracts of the right and the left esternal part (6.6%) and the lateral and the ventral portion of the left costal part (6.6%); the left ventral branch ever innervates too the correspondent esternal part and also the ventral portion of the costal (26.6%), these parts and tract of the right esternal part (46.6%), all that parts and the lateral portion of the costal part (20.0%), or the ventral portion of the right costal part (6.6%); 5) homolateral connections (“ anastomosis” ) were found, at the right side, with fillets of the dorsal branch or with some of these with others of the lateral branches.