Anatomy of nerve plexuses Flashcards
What does the peripheral nervous system consist of
12 pairs of cranial nerves, 31 pairs of spinal nerves (8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral plus coccygeal nerve)
What is the somatic nervous system
Voluntary nervous system which provides general sensory and motor innervations to body except viscera in body cavities, smooth muscle and glands
What does the dorsal (posterior) ramus supply
Dorsal 1/3 of the body wall (not limb)
-supplies deep muscles of back (extensor muscles of the vertebral column) and overlying skin and synovial joints of vertebral column
What does the ventral (anterior) ramus supply
Ventral 2/3 of the body wall, including limbs
What is a primary ramus
Branch of a spinal nerve
Are ventral or dorsal rami larger
Ventral rami and are more clinically important
What is a feature of all spinal nerves in relation to their rami
Their ANTERIOR rami branch and rejoin forming nerve plexuses
Where do the plexuses formed from anterior rami occur in
Cervical, brachial, lumbar and sacral regions
How can nerve fibres regroup within a plexus
- Branches can contain fibres from more than one spinal level (convergence)
- Given spinal level may contribute to more than one branch (divergence)
Why does damage to one spinal segment not usually lead to complete loss of function or sensation
Because of regrouping
What are the five groups of ventral rami and their spinal root value
Cervical plexus (C1-C5) Brachial plexus (C5-T1) Nerves of the trunk (T1-L1) Lumbosacral plexus (L1-S3) Sacrococcygeal plexus (S3-S5)
What does the cervical plexus supply
Head and neck
What does the brachial plexus supply
Upper limb
What do the nerves of the trunk supply
Trunk
What does the lumbosacral plexus supply
Trunk and lower limb
What does the sacrococcygeal plexus supply
Pelvis and lower trunk
List cutaneous cervical spinal segments which contribute to the cervical plexus and their spinal root value
Lesser occipital- C2/(C3)
Greater auricular- C2/C3
Transverse cervical cutaneous- C2/C3
Supraclavicular- C3/C4
List motor (deep) cervical spinal segments which contribute to the cervical plexus and their spinal root value
Ansa cervicalis - C1-C3
Phrenic - C3-C5
Other muscular branches - C1-C5
What does the lesser occipital nerve supply
Skin of neck and scalp posteriosuperior to auricle
What does the greater auricular nerve supply
Skin over parotid gland, part of the auricle, skin from angle of mandible to mastoid process
What does the transverse cervical nerve supply
Skin of anterior cervical region
What do the supraclavicular nerves supply
Branches to skin of neck and over clavicle to skin of shoulder