Constituent ratio of motor fibers from the C5-C7 spinal nerves in the radial nerve is greater in pup rats than in adult rats.

Clinically, injuries of C5-C7 of the brachial plexus cause falling of the wrist and fingers in infants but not in adults unless 4 consecutive spinal nerves are injured. The purpose of this study was to compare the constituent difference of spinal nerves in the radial nerve between pup and adult rats.A group of 16 pup rats and a group of 16 adult rats were each divided into 2 groups of 8 (P1 and A1 groups, C5-C6 were divided; P2 and A2 groups, C5-C7 were divided]). A nerve conduction study and histological examination were performed to evaluate radial nerve innervation to the extensor digitorum communis muscle after dividing the spinal nerves. Retrograde tracing with 5% cholera toxin B for anterior horn motoneurons of the spinal cord innervating the radial nerve was performed in 8 pup rats and 8 adult rats. Results showed that the division of C5-C7 caused more significant damage to radial nerve innervation to the extensor digitorum communis in pups than in adults, although the division of C5-C6 did not. In pups, the percentages (median with interquartile) of anterior horn motoneurons of the spinal cord innervating the radial nerve were 36.4 (28.3-38.5) in C5-C6, 28.1 (24.5-32.5) in C7, and 37.5 (36.5-39.3) in C8-T1. In adults, they were 24.2 (23.6-27.8) in C5-C6, 21.8 (19.5-26.3) in C7, and 50.7 (48.7-55.5) C8-T1.This study implies that C7 innervation in the radial nerve in humans may be more critical to the function of this nerve in infants than in adults.