Virginia Research Day 2025

Medical Student Research Case Reports

26 Rare Case of Divided Phrenic Nerve Variation: A Cadaveric Case Report

Olivia C Silveri; Gabriella Dunemann; Christian Woo; Jacob Gutman; Joseph Palazzi; Jason Canestrino; Benita Luke; Jonathan A. Millard; Michael Breiner Corresponding author: cwoo01@vcom.edu

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia Campus

The phrenic nerve innervates the respiratory diaphragm, the primary muscle active during ventilation. The canonical path of the phrenic nerve originates from the cervical spine at C3-C5 spinal nerves and travels inferiorly through the neck and thoracic cavity to reach the diaphragm. During a

cadaver dissection, a variation of the phrenic nerve was discovered in a 93-year-old male specimen. A traditional origin of the phrenic nerve was noted; however, the nerve branched into medial and lateral components at the level of the superior trunk of the

brachial plexus. The branches reconnected at the apex of the aortic arch and continued inferiorly to innervate the ipsilateral diaphragm. This case study describes a rare type of branching of the phrenic nerve and explores its potential impact on clinical procedures.

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