Ulnar Nerve

•By
 Introduction
• Ulnar nerve is on of the major terminal
Branches of Brachial Plexus. It is the
continuation of medial cord of brachial
plexus which arises from the anterior
Division of the lower Trunk.
• Root Value:

• The fibers of ulnar nerve arise from the

eight cervical and first thorasic nerve, so
the root value of ulnar nerve is C8 and
T1.
•
• These (C8,T1) coordinate to form the
lower trunk of brachial plexus.
Brachial
Plexus
 Continuation of Ulnar Nerve
• Course From Cord to Axilla.

• The Ulnar nerve runs between

the Axillary artery and vein in
the axilla.

• Course from Axilla to Arm

• From the axilla it enters in the
arm and stays between the
brachial artery and vein.
.
• Course from Arm to Elbow

• The nerve runs inferior and

posterior medial aspect of
humerus bone till it enters the
cubital tunnel.

• In the arm throughout the

course the nerve runs
superficially and innervates no
any muscle.
Course from Elbow to Forearm

•At the elbow the ulnar nerve lies in a groove

(Retrocondylar groove) which is formed by

•medial epicondyle humerus and olecranon

process of ulna, referred as "funny bone".

•The ulnar nerve is trapped between the bone

and the overlying skin at this point.

It enters the forearm through the aponeurotic

arcade (Cubital Tunnel).
 Supplies of Ulnar Nerve In Forearm
The ulnar nerve enters the anterior (flexor)
compartment of the forearm through
the two heads of flexor Carpi ulnaris
and runs alongside the ulna bone.

There it innervates the Flexor Carpi Ulnaris

(FCU) muscle & medial half of Flexor
Digitorum Profundus III & IV (FDP)
muscle.

• No further muscle is supplied by the

ulnar nerve in the medial forearm until
it enters the wrist through guyon canal.
 Course from forearm to wrist
Dorsal Cutaneous Innervations of the
Ulnar Nerve

In the forearm it runs distally on the

ulnar artery, and about five to eight
centimeters proximal to the wrist ,

the dorsal ulnar cutaneous sensory

branch exits to supply sensation to
the dorsal medial hand and the
dorsal little finger as far distally as
the nail & the 4 digit.
• Palmar Cutaneous
Innervations of the Ulnar
Nerve

• At that level of the ulnar

styloid the Palmer
Cutaneous sensory branch
originates to supply
sensation to the proximal
medial palm.
.
• G
At the wrist, the ulnar nerve and
artery lie in a canal formed by the
pisiform bone medially and the
hook of hamate laterally (Guyon’s
canal).

•In this region the nerve divides

into two superficial and deep
branches.

•The Superficial Branch

•The Deep Motor Branch
1. The superficial branch is
generally considered a
sensory branch which
supplies to distal palm, fifth
and half of the fourth digit.

It also supplies palmaris brevis,

a thin muscle beneath the
skin which cannot be
studied
electromyographically.
.
Dorsal cutaneous branch
• The deep branch gives off
motor innervation to the
hand muscles.
• .
•
After it travels down the
ulna, the ulnar nerve enters
the palm of the hand.

• The ulnar nerve and artery

pass superficial to the flexor
retinaculum via the ulnar
canal
 Ulnar Innervated Muscles
• Forearm:
• Flexor Carpi Ulnaris (C7, C8, T1)
• Flexor Digitorum Profundus III &
IV (C7, C8)
• Thenar:
• Hypothenar Muscles (C8, T1)
• Adductor Pollicis (C8, T1)
• Flexor Pollicis Brevis (C8, T1)
• Fingers:
• Palmer Interosseous (C8, T1)

• Dorsal Interosseous (C8, T1)

• III & IV Lumbricles (C8, T1)

• Digiti Minimi:

• Abductor Digiti Minimi (Quinti) (C8,

T1)
• Opponens Dgiti Minimi(C8-T1)
• Anatomy of the ulnar nerve at the elbow, the branches are the
• dorsal ulnar cutaneous sensory (blue), the palmar cutaneous
sensory
• (yellow), hypothenar motor (green) and the digital sensory
(red), the
• trunk of the nerve in the hand continues as the deep palmar
motor branch.
THE END

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