ANA 201 Upper Limb 2 (Axilla, Brachial Plexus And Breast) Flashcards
What bones is the axilla made up of?
Clavicle, humerus, upper thoracic wall (ribs) and scapula
What muscles make up the anterior wall of axilla?
Pectoralis major and minor
Subclavius
clavipectoral fascia
What muscles make up the posterior wall of axilla?
Subscapularis
Long head of triceps
Latissimus dorsi
Teres major
What muscles make up the medial wall of axilla?
Thoracic wall
Part of the serratus anterior
What structures make up the apex of axilla?
It is bounded by the clavicle bone anteriorly,
First rib medially and
Upper border of scapula posteriorly
Which artery enters the axilla?
The axillary artery
How does the axillary artery enter the axilla?
The subclavian artery, becomes the axillary artery as it crosses the lateral margin of 1st rib and enters the axilla
Main blood vessel supplying the upper limb
Subclavian artery
How does the axillary vein become the subclavian vein?
Similarly, the axillary vein becomes the subclavian vein as it passes over the lateral margin of rib I and leaves the axilla to enter the neck.
What forms the floor of the axilla?
The floor of the axilla is formed by fascia and a dome of skin that spans the distance between the inferior margins of the walls.
It is supported by the clavipectoral fascia.
Axillary contents
- The three cords of the brachial plexus and their branches
- The axillary arteries and its branches
- The axillary vein and its tributaries
- The axillary lymph nodes
- Fibro-fatty tissue
- The axillary tail of Spence of mammary gland in females
What is the major blood supply for the distal upper arm?
axillary artery
What are the 3 parts of the axillary artery?
1.the first part is proximal to pectoralis minor (extends from the lateral border of 1st rib to medial border of P.minor)
2.the second part is posterior to pectoralis minor (behind the P. minor)
- the third part is distal to pectoralis minor (the longest part, extending from the lateral border of P.minor to the lower border of teres major muscle
Where does the axillary nerve leave the axilla
The quadrangular space
How does the axillary artery become the brachial artery?
The axillary artery become the brachial artery at the inferior margin of the Teres major
What is the brachial plexus
The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that is responsible for the cutaneous and muscular innervations of the entire upper limb with two exceptions;
●The trapezius muscle which is innervated by the SPINAL ACCESSORY NERVE and
●An area close to the axilla which is innervated by the INTERCOSTALBRACHIALIS NERVE
Where does the brachial plexus begin
The brachial plexus begins in the neck extending through the axillary inlet into the axilla where almost all the branches of the plexus arises after it has crossed the first rib.
How are the cord of the brachial plexus named?
Lateral, medial and posterior to the axillary artery
Branches of the brachial plexus
Supraclavicular
Infraclavicular
What are the supraclavicular branches of the brachial plexus
- Long Thoracic Nerve (C5-C7)
- Dorsal scapular nerve (C5)
- Suprascapula nerve (C5-C6)
- Nerve to subclavius (C5-C6)
Long Thoracic Nerve (C5-C7)
Long Thoracic Nerve (C5-C7)- passes through the cervicoaxillary canal and posterior to other BP components to supply the serratus anterior muscle.
Dorsal scapula nerve C5
Dorsal Scapular nerve (C5)- pierces the middle scalene muscle and runs deep to supply the levator scapulae, enters the deep surface of the Rhomboids muscle supplying it.
Suprascapula C5, C6
Suprascapular Nerve (C5-6)- passes laterally through the posterior triangle of the neck and through the suprascapular foramen to enter the posterior scapular region;
supplies the supraspinatus, infraspinatus muscles and glenohumeral joint.
Nerve to subclavius C5 C6
originates from the superior trunk of the brachial plexus;
Passes anteroinferiorly over the subclavian artery
•Innervates the subclavius muscle.
Infraclavicular (lateral cord) branches of the plexus
Lateral cord
1. Lateral pectoral nerve C5-C7
2. Musculocutaneous nerve C5-C7
3. Lateral root of median nerve C5-C7
Infraclavicular (medial cord) branches of the plexus
- Medial root of median nerve C8-T1
- Medial pectoral nerve C8-T1
- Medial cutaneous nerve of the arm C8-T1
- Medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm C8-T1
- Ulnar nerve C8-T1
Lateral pectoral nerve
is the most proximal of the branches from the lateral cord.
It innervtes the pectorialis major muscle.
Lateral Pectoral Nerve (C5-C7)
is the most proximal of the branches from the lateral cord, passes anteriorly, together with the thoraco-acromial artery, to penetrate the clavipectoral fascia that spans the gap between the subclavius and pectoralis minor muscles.
It innervtes the pectoralis major muscle.
Musculocutaneous Nerve (C5-7)-
is a large terminal branch of the lateral cord, passes laterally to penetrate the coracobrachialis muscle and pass between the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles in the arm, and innervates all three flexor muscles in the anterior compartment of the arm.
Innervates the coracobrachialis muscle, biceps brachii and brachialis muscles
It continues as the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm.
Lateral Root of Median nerve (C5-7)-
is the largest terminal branch of the lateral cord and passes medially to join a similar branch from the medial cord to form the median nerve.
Medial Root of Median Nerve (C8-T1)
It joins the lateral roots from the lateral cord to form the median nerve (C5-T1).
The median nerve is formed anterior to the third part of the axillary artery by the union of lateral and medial roots originating from the lateral and medial cords of the brachial plexus.
Innervation of the median nerve
It passes into the arm anterior to the brachial artery, through the arm into the forearm where branches innervate most of the muscles in the anterior compartment of the forearm (except for the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle and the medial half of the flexor digitorum profundus muscle, which are innervated by the ulnar nerve).
the three thenar muscles associated with the thumb;
*the two lateral lumbrical muscles associated with movement of the index and middle fingers;
*the skin over the palmar surface of the lateral three and one-half digits and over the lateral side of the palm and middle of the wrist.
Medial Pectoral Nerve (C8-T1)
receives a communicating branch from the lateral pectoral nerve and then passes anteriorly between the axillary artery and axillary vein.
innervates the pectorialis minor muscle and part of the pectorialis major muscle too.
Medial Cutaneous Nerve of the arm (C8-T1)
supplies the skin of the medial side of the arm and superior part of the forearm and also the floor of the axilla.
Medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm CB-T1
innervates the skin on the medial side of the forearm.
Known as the “fools nerve”.
Ulnar Nerve (C8-T1)
a large terminal branch of the medial cord.
Transverse the arm into the forearm without branching.
innervates one and a half muscles in the anterior compartment of the forearm (flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor digitorum profundus).
innervates also all the intrinsic muscles of the hand except (3 thernar muscles and 2 lumbricals).
It innervates skin over the palmar surface of the little finger, medial half of the ring finger, and associated palm and wrist, and the skin over the dorsal surface of the medial part of the hand.
What are the anterior muscles of the arm?
Coracobrachialis
Brachialis
Bicep brachii
What spans the gap between the subclavius and pectoralis minor muscles?
Clavipectoral fascia
What is the clavipectoral fascia pierced by?
the cephalic vein
the lateral pectoral nerve
and branches of the thoracoacromial artery.