Brachial plexus

Question 1

Spinal nerves roots of what area form the brachial plexus?

Answer 1

C5-T1 (portion of C4 may contribute)

Question 2

Between what two structures does the brachial plexus emerge?

Answer 2

Anterior scalene and middle scalene

Question 3

What structures does the brachial plexus descend between to get to the upper extremity?

Answer 3

Clavicle and 1st Rib

Question 4

What structure does the brachial plexus surround as it descends? What do they descend deep to as they continue down to the arm?

Answer 4

Surrounds the axillary artery, both descend deep to the pec minor

Question 5

What are the 5 regions of the brachial plexus?

Answer 5

Roots, trunk, divisions, cords, branches (terminal)

Question 6

What area does the brachial plexus supply? Does the brachial plexus supply these areas with motor or sensory information?

Answer 6

Muscles of the shoulder region and muscles of the upper extremity
BOTH motor and sensory to these

Question 7

What spinal nerve roots make up the “roots” portion of the brachial plexus?

Answer 7

Spinal nerve roots C5-T1

Question 8

What makes up the “trunks” portion of the brachial plexus?

Answer 8

Superior trunk, middle trunk, inferior trunk

Question 9

What makes up the “divisions” portion of the brachial plexus?

Answer 9

Anterior division and posterior division

Question 10

What makes up the “cords” portion of the brachial plexus?

Answer 10

Lateral cord, medial cord, posterior cord

Question 11

What makes up the “branches” portion of the brachial plexus?

Answer 11

musculocutaneous nerve, median nerve, ulnar nerve, radial nerve, axillary nerve

Question 12

Which peripheral nerves pop off of the roots of the brachial plexus?

Answer 12

Long thoracic nerve (goes to levator scap/rhomboids) and dorsal scapular nerve (goes to serratus anterior)

Question 13

Which peripheral nerves pop off of the trunks of the brachial plexus?

Answer 13

Subclavian nerve (goes to subclavius) and suprascapular nerve (goes to supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles)

Question 14

What are the divisions that the trunks of the brachial plexus split into?

Answer 14

Anterior and posterior splits of each trunk

Question 15

After splitting into anterior and posterior divisions, the trunks of the brachial plexus come together to form what?

Answer 15

Cords

Question 16

What are the three cords of the brachial plexus?

Answer 16

Lateral, Medial, and Posterior cord

Question 17

The brachial plexus continues to travel down the UE with what structure?

Answer 17

Axillary artery

Question 18

The cords of the brachial plexus are named in relation to what?

Answer 18

Named after positional relationship to axillary artery as they surround the axillary artery

Question 19

The lateral cord of the brachial plexus supplies which nerves?

Answer 19

Lateral pectoral nerve, Musculocutaneous nerve, 1/2 of Median nerve

Question 20

The medial cord of the brachial plexus supplies which nerves?

Answer 20

Other 1/2 of Median nerve and ulnar nerve
Also
Medial pectoral nerve, Medial brachial cutaneous nerve, Medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve

Question 21

The posterior cord of the brachial plexus supplies which nerves?

Answer 21

Axillary nerve and radial nerve
Also
Thoracodorsal nerve, Upper subscapular nerve, Lower subscapular nerve

Question 22

Which nerves make up the classic “M” of the cords in the brachial plexus? Where is the classic “M” located?

Answer 22

Made up of the Musculocutaneous nerve, the Median nerve, and the Ulnar nerve

Located on the front of the Axillary artery