CPT2: ANATOMY - BRACHIAL PLEXUS

FUNCTIONS OF THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS

● Sensory innervation to the skin & deep structures
● Motor innervation to the muscles
● Influence over the diameters of the blood vessels by the
sympathetic vasomotor nerves
● Sympathetic secretomotor supply to the sweat glands
BRACHIAL PLEXUS
● A complicated plexus formed by the nerves at the root of the
neck
● Allows the nerve fibers derived different segments of the spinal
cord to be arranged and distributed efficiently in different
nerve trunks to the various parts of the limb
● Formed in the posterior triangle of the neck by the union of the
anterior rami of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th cervical & the 1st
thoracic spinal nerves
● Plexus can be divided into roots, trunks, divisions, & cords

ROOT OF THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS

● Formed by the union of the anterior rami of the 5th, 6th, 7th, &
8th cervical & the 1st thoracic spinal nerves

Inventor, Joanna Marie P. 1

CPT2: ANATOMY - BRACHIAL PLEXUS
TRUNKS OF THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS RELATION OF THE CORDS TO THE AXILLARY ARTERY
● Roots of C5 & 6 unite to form the upper trunk First part of the artery
● Root of C7 continues as the middle trunk ➔ All three cords of the brachial plexus lie above & lateral to the
● Roots of C8 & T1 unite to form the lower trunk first part of the axillary artery
● Each trunk then divides into anterior & posterior divisions Second part of the artery
CORDS OF THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS ➔ The medial cord lies on the medial side of the second part of
● The anterior divisions of the upper and middle trunks unite to the artery
form the lateral cord ➔ The posterior cord lies behind the second part of the artery
● The anterior division of the lower trunk continues as the medial ➔ The lateral cord lies on the lateral side of the second part of
cord the artery
● The posterior divisions of all three trunks join to form the Third part of axillary artery
posterior cord ➔ Most branches of the cords that form the main nerve trunks of
the upper limb continue this relationship to the artery in its third
part
AXILLARY SHEATH
➔ The roots, trunks, & divisions of the brachial plexus reside in the
lower part of the posterior triangle of the neck
➔ The cords become arranged around the axillary artery in the
axilla. Here, the brachial plexus & the axillary artery & vein are
enclosed in the axillary sheath
BRANCHES OF THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS
Roots
➔ Dorsal scapular nerve (C5)
➔ Long thoracic nerve (C5, C6, and C7)
Upper trunk
➔ Nerve to subclavius (C5 and C6)
➔ Suprascapular nerve (supplies the supraspinatus and
infraspinatus muscles)
BRANCHES OF THE CORDS
From the lateral cord
➔ Musculocutaneous nerve (C5, C6)
➔ Lateral pectoral nerve (C5, C6)
➔ Lateral root of median nerve (C5, C6, C7)
From the medial cord
➔ Medial pectoral nerve (C8, T1)

Inventor, Joanna Marie P. 2

CPT2: ANATOMY - BRACHIAL PLEXUS
➔ Medial cutaneous nerves of arm (C8, T1)
➔ Medial cutaneous nerves of forearm (C8, T1)
➔ Ulnar nerve (C7, C8, T1)
➔ Medial root of median nerve (C8, T1)
From the posterior cord
➔ Upper subscapular nerves (C5, C6)
➔ Lower subscapular nerves (C5, C6)
➔ Nerve to latissimus dorsi (thoracodorsal nerve, C6, C7, C8)
➔ Axillary nerve (C5, C6)
➔ Radial nerve (C5, C6, C7, C8, T1)
BRANCHES OF THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS FOUND IN THE AXILLA
The nerve to the subclavius (C5, C6)
➔ Supplies the subclavius muscle
The long thoracic nerve (C5, C6, C7)
➔ Enters the axilla by passing down over the lateral border of the
first rib
➔ It supplies the serratus anterior muscle
The lateral pectoral nerve
➔ Supplies the pectoralis major muscle
The medial pectoral nerve
➔ Supplies and pierces the pectoralis minor muscle, & supplies
the pectoralis major muscle
The musculocutaneous nerve
➔ Arises from the lateral cord of the brachial plexus, supplies the
coracobrachialis muscle
The lateral root of the median nerve
➔ Joined by the medial root to form the median nerve trunk
which passes downward on the lateral side of the axillary
artery
➔ The median nerve gives off no branches in the axilla
The medial cutaneous nerve of the arm (T1)
➔ Joined by the intercostobrachial nerve (lateral cutaneous
branch of the second intercostal nerve)
➔ It supplies the skin on the medial side of the arm
Inventor, Joanna Marie P.
The medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm
➔ Arises from the medial cord of the brachial plexus & descends
in front of the axillary artery
The thoracodorsal nerve
➔ Arises from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus & runs
downward to supply the latissimus dorsi muscle
The axillary nerve
➔ One of the terminal branches of the posterior cord of the
brachial plexus
➔ It turns backward and passes through the quadrangular space
➔ Having given off a branch to the shoulder joint, it divides into
anterior and posterior branches
The radial nerve
➔ Largest branch of the brachial plexus
➔ Lies behind the axillary artery
➔ It gives off branches to the long and medial heads of the
triceps muscle & the posterior cutaneous nerve of the arm
➔ The latter branch is distributed to the skin on the middle of the
back of the arm
CUTANEOUS INNERVATION OF THE UPPER LIMBS
Cutaneous innervation refers to the area of the skin which is supplied
by a specific nerve
Arm & shoulder
➔ Supraclavicular nerves
➔ Upper lateral cutaneous nerve of arm (axillary nerve)
➔ Lower lateral cutaneous nerve of arm (branch from radial
nerve)
➔ Intercostobrachial nerve
➔ Medial cutaneous nerve of arm (from the medial cord)
➔ Posterior cutaneous nerve of arm
Forearm
➔ Lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm (branch of
musculocutaneous nerve)
➔ Medial cutaneous nerve of forearm (branch of medial cord)
➔ Posterior cutaneous nerve of forearm (branch of radial nerve
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CPT2: ANATOMY - BRACHIAL PLEXUS
Hand
➔ Superficial branch of the radial nerve (dorsal digital branch)
➔ Palmar digital branch from the median nerve
➔ Superficial branch of ulnar nerve (palmar digital branch)

Inventor, Joanna Marie P. 4