Arm and Elbow SDL Flashcards
Boundaries of the axilla?
The axilla is a pyramidal space with four walls and an inferiorly facing base made up by the skin and fascia of the armpit.
Walls of the axilla?
Lateral: intertubercular sulcus
Medial: the serratus anterior and the thoracic wall
Posterior: subscapularis, teres major and latissimus dorsi.
Anterior: contains the pectoralis major and the underlying pectoralis minor and the subclavius muscles.
The neurovascular bundle of the upper limb enters through the apex of the axilla after passing between the clavicle and the first rib.
What is contained within the neurovascular bundle of the axilla?
- Axillary artery
- Axillary vein
- Brachial plexus (and branches)
What is the axillary artery a continuation of?
The subclavian artery that travels under the clavicle
Where does the axillary artery become the brachial artery?
At the point that it crosses teres major
In the axilla, what are the 2 important branches of the axillary artery?
The posterior and anterior circumflex humeral arteries
What do the anterior and posterior circumflex humeral arteries form?
An anastomosis around the surgical neck of the humerus
As the brachial artery travels down the anterior compartment of the arm, what branch does it give off?
The profunda brachii / deep artery of the arm
What does the profunda brachii supply?
It is the main supplier of blood to the upper arm
Where does the profunda brachii travel?
Travels around the back of the humerus and runs down the posterior aspect of the humerus in the radial / spiral groove
What does the profunda brachii run alongside in the radial groove?
The radial nerve
The brachial artery runs down the anterior arm. Where does it birfurcate?
At the level of the elbow joint (cubital fossa)
What does the brachial artery divide into?
The radial and ulnar arteries
Where does the axillary vein lie in relation to the axillary artery?
Medial
Where does the axillary vein commence? Where does it become the subclavian vein?
It commences at the lower border of teres major (same place where axillary artery becomes brachial artery) and ascends through the axilla.
It becomes the subclavian at the lateral border of the first rib
What are the 2 types of veins in the upper limb?
Deep and superficial veins
Where do both the deep and superficial venous networks drain into?
Alll the way up to the axillary vein
What are the 2 major superficial veins in the arm?
Basilic and cephalic veins
What is the axillary vein a continuation of?
The basilic vein
Where does the cephalic vein empty into?
The cephalic vein is a tributary of the axillary vein
What is the median cubital vein? Is it superficial or deep?
This vein connects the cephalic and basilic veins in the regino of the antecubital fossa (i.e. anterior to the elbow joint)
This is a superficial vein
What does the brachial plexus give rise to?
The plexus gives rise to nerves which provide the motor and sensory innervation to the whole of the upper limb.
What cord does the:
Musculocutaneous
Axillary
Median
Radial
Ulnar
come from?
Roots of the 5 terminal branches of the brachial plexus?
Musculo - C5-C7
Axillary - C5-C6
Radial - C5-T1
Median - C5-T1
Ulnar - C8-T1
What is the only nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel?
Median nerve
What muscles are innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve? (i.e. motor functions of this nerve)?
Innervates the muscles in the anterior compartment of the arm:
- Biceps
- Brachialis
- Coracobrachialis
What skin is innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve (i.e. sensory function)?
- In the forearm, the musculocutaneous nerve gives rise to the lateral cutaneous nerve.
- This nerve initially enters the deep forearm, but then pierces the deep fascia to become subcutaneous.
- In this region, it can be found in close proximity to the cephalic vein
- The lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm innervates the skin of the anterolateral aspect of the forearm.
In simple: skin of the anterolateral aspect of the forearm
What is motor function of the axillary nerve (i.e. what muscles does it innervate)?
- Deltoid
- Teres minor
What is the sensory function of the axillary nerve (i.e. what skin does it innervate)?
- The sensory component of the axillary nerve is delivered via its posterior terminal branch.
- After the posterior terminal branch of the axillary nerve has innervated the teres minor, it continues as the upper lateral cutaneous nerve of the arm.
- It innervates the skin over the inferior portion of the deltoid
I.e. upper lateral aspect of arm
What muscles does the median nerve innervate (i.e. what is motor function)?
In the forearm, the median nerve directly innervates muscles in the superficial and intermediate layers:
- Superficial layer: Pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis and palmaris longus.
- Intermediate layer: Flexor digitorum superficialis.
The median nerve also gives rise to the anterior interosseous nerve, which supplies the deep flexors:
- Deep layer: Flexor pollicis longus, pronator quadratus, and the lateral half of the flexor digitorum profundus
In the hand, the median nerve innervates some of the muscles via two branches:
- The recurrent branch: innervates the thenar muscles
- The palmar digital branch: innervates the lateral two lumbricals
What are the thenar muscles?
muscles associated with movements of the thumb
What are the actions of the lateral two lumbricals?
these muscles perform flexion at the metacarpophalangeal joints and extension at the interphalangeal joints of the index and middle fingers
What is the sensory function of the median nerve (i.e. what skin does it innervate)?
Responsible for the cutaneous innervation of part of the hand via two branches:
- Palmar cutaneous branch
- Arises in the forearm and travels into the hand
- It innervates the lateral aspect of the palm
- Palmar digital cutaneous branch
- Arises in the hand
- Innervates the palmar surface and fingertips of the lateral three and half digits
Does the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve pass through the carpal tunnel?
No - is spared in carpal tunnel syndrome.
What muscles are innervated by the radial nerve?
In the posterior upper arm: triceps
In the posterior forearm: gives rise to branches that supply the brachioradialis and extensor carpi radialis longus (muscles of the posterior forearm).
A terminal branch of the radial nerve, the deep branch, innervates the remaining muscles of the posterior forearm.
What skin is innervated by the radial nerve?
Upper posterior arm:
- Lateral aspect of the arm
- The posterior surface of the arm
Posterior forearm:
- Innervates a strip of skin down the middle of the posterior forearm
Posterior hand:
- The superfical branch (a terminal division of the radial nerve) innervates the dorsal surface of the lateral three and half digits and the associated area on the dorsum of the hand.
What muscles does the ulnar nerve innervate?
Innervates muscles in the anterior compartment of the forearm, and in the hand.
Anterior forearm:
- Flexor carpi ulnaris
- Flexor digitorum profundus (medial half)
Hand:
- The majority of the intrinsic hand muscles (apart from the thenar muscles and two lateral lumbricals)
- Hypothenar muscles
- Medial two lumbricals
- Adductor pollicis
- Palmar and dorsal interossei of the hand
- Palmaris brevis
What skin does the ulnar nerve innervate (sensory)?
There are three branches of the ulnar nerve that are responsible for its sensory innervation.
Two of these branches arise in the forearm, and travel into the hand:
- Palmar cutaneous branch – innervates the medial half of the palm.
- Dorsal cutaneous branch – innervates the dorsal surface of the medial one and a half fingers, and the associated dorsal hand area.
The last branch arises in the hand itself:
- Superficial branch – innervates the palmar surface of the medial one and a half fingers.
The brachial plexus can be anaesthetised. What does this mea for surgery? What is this called?
Surgery on the upper limb can be performed without giving a patient a general anaesthetic –> brachial plexus block.
How may groups of lymph nodes does the axilla contain? What do they drain?
The axilla contains 4 groups of nodes. These drain 75% of the lymph from the breast.
What is the clinical significance of the axillary lymph nodes?
Axillary lymphadenopathy refers to enlargement of the axillary lymph nodes. Common causes include:
- Infection of the upper limb
- Infection of the pectoral region and breast
- Metastasis of breast cancers
Removal and analysis of the axillary lymph nodes is often a vital tool for the staging of breast cancers.
What may interruption of the lymph drainage of the upper limb result in?
- Lymphoedema (accumulated lymph in the subcutaneous tissue leads to painful swelling of the upper limb)
- Risk of damage to either of the long thoracic nerve (potentially causing a winged scapula deformity) or the thoracodorsal nerve.
The arm is divided into two morphological and functional compartments by the deep (brachial) fascia of the arm. What are these?
- Flexor compartment –> lies anterior to the humerus
- Extensor compartment –> lies posterior to the humerus
What are the 3 muscles of the anterior compartment of the arm?
- Biceps
- Brachialis
- Coracobrachialis
Proximal attachment of the bicep?
Short head: coracoid process
Long head: supraglenoid tubercle on the scapula
Distal attachment of the biceps?
Both long and short heads form one common tendon that attches to the radial tuberosity on the radius
Action of the biceps?
- Flexes the arm at the shoulder and the elbow
- Supination of the forearm
Proximal attachment of the brachialis?
Humeral shaft
Distal attachment of the brachialis?
Ulna tuberosity on the ulna
Action of the brachialis?
Flexes the arm at the elbow joint
Proximal attachment of the coracobrachialis?
Coracoid process of the scapula
Distal attachment of the coracobrachialis?
Humeral shaft
Action of the coracobrachialis?
Flexion of the arm at the shoulder, and weak adduction.
Common innervation of the biceps, brachialis and coracobrachialis?
Musculocutaneous nerve