17 - The Arm and Cubital Fossa Flashcards
What do I need to know?
- Organisation and contents of the compartments
- Movements of the arm/elbow and muscles
- Disposition of arteries and nerves of the arm and their origins in the axilla
- Cubital fossa boundaries and contents
How are the anterior/flexor and posterior/extensor compartments formed?
By the medial and lateral intermuscular septa which attach to the medial and lateral supracondylar ridges of the humerus. They become continuous with the deep fascia pf the arm
Anterior compartment of the arm?
> Biceps Brachii, Coracobrachialis, Brachialis
> Musculocutaneous Nerve (pierces coracobrachialis and lies on top of brachialis under biceps
Coracobrachialis?
O: Coracoid
I: Medial humerus opposite the deltoid tuberosity
> partially attaches to biceps brachii short head
Biceps Brachii?
O:
Short head: Coracoid
Long Head: Supraglenoid Tubercle
I: Radial Tuberosity and Bicipital Aponeurosis to deep fascia of antero-medial forearm
Brachialis?
O: Front of inferior humerus
I: anterior elbow joint to coronoid process and ULNAR tuberosity
Where does the axillary artery become the brachial artery?
At the INFERIOR border of teres major
What nerves accompany the brachial artery?
- The median nerve on the antero-lateral side and ulnar nerve posterior
Path of the ulnar Nerve?
- travels into the arm behind the brachial artery
- passes BEHIND the MEDIAL intermuscular septa and the lower arm and passes behind the medial epicondyle
- enters the forearm between the 2 heads of Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
Path of the Median Nerve?
- passes straight down to forearm on brachialis with brachial artery
O and I and nerve supply of deltoid?
O= anatomical horseshoe (lateral clavicle, acromion, spine of scapula) I= deltoid tuberosity on lateral humerus
> axillary nerve
Anterior Fibres of Deltoid
> unipennate (strong)
> flex shoulder and internally rotate arm
What does uni/multipennate mean?
Describes the architecture of the fasicle arrangement which affects how strong a muscle is
Middle Fibres of Deltoud
> multipennate (very strong)
> ABDUCT
Posterior Fibres of Deltoid?
> unipennate
> extend shoulder and externally rotate arm
Describe the mechanism of the middle fibres of the deltoid
- draw a line of axis linking the centre of the head of the humerus to the origin (acromion)
- in the anatomical position the fibres would have to lengthen to get to the line of axis
- the fibres try to lift the humerus up which they can’t do so they aren’t effective in the anatomical position
- need to move the humerus/point of insertion out TO the line of axis before the middle fibres are effective and can abduct
- supraspinatus abducts this 15 degrees before deltoid works
What is the pivot point of the shoulder joint?
Middle of the head of the humerus
How can the posterior and anterior fibres of the deltoid BOTH abduct and adduct?
- in anatomical position the insertion is so far away from the line of axis that the fibres both adduct (below the axis)
- once the arm is abducted then the fibres ABDUCT
(depends on the position of the arm/on the insertions relative position to the line of axis)
Teres Major?
O: Inferior angle and lateral border of scapula
I: Medial Lip of intertubercular groove of anterior humerus (lady between 2 mjrs)
> Lower Subscapular nerve
Internally rotates arm and adducts
> lat dorsi twists around teres major to insert
What muscles internally rotate arm?
Lat dorsi, Teres Major, Pec Major
What forms the compartments in the upper arm?
Deep Brachial Fascia, Lateral Intermuscular Septa, Medial Intermuscular Septa
Describe the arrangement of the compartments at the lower arm/elbow
- the LIS and MIS have become vertical to form 4 compartments
- flexor comp (anterior)
- extensor comp (post)
- flex/pronator of forearm (median/ulnar nerve)
- extens/supinator of forearm (radial nerve)
> as you move down the forearm and the arm muscles become tendons the sup/pro compartments become post/anterior
Why is the elbow such a busy area with muscles?
Fingers are dextrous and need to manipulate environment but also need strength to grab things. Can’t have the big muscles needed for this in a dextrous structure so move them off site to the forearm. Hands also have a lot of movement and muscles only shorten 1/3 of there length so the muscles also have to be long to generate a lot of movement - they therefore originate on the humerus