Lecture 27 Nerves of the Upper Limb Flashcards
What is the primary function of the brachial plexus?
- provides somatomotor and somatosensory innervation to the upper extremity
Does the brachial plexus supply sympathetics?
- Yes
Where does the brachial plexus arise from?
- cervical enlargement of spinal cord
What forms the brachial plexus?
- the anterior rami of cervical spinal nerve roots C5-T1
What is the pathway of the brachial plexus?
- these spinal nerve roots emerge from the intervetrebral foramina of cervical vertebrae and pass between the anterior and middle scalene muscles of the neck
Where does the brachial plexus emerge from?
- the intervertebral foramina
What muscles does the brachial plexus pass between?
- anterior and middle scalene muscles
What rami is the brachial plexus comprised of?
- ventral
dorsal would go to back of neck
What are the supraclavicular structures?
- phrenic nerve
- omohyoid
- sternocleiod mastoid
- subclavian vein (passes anterior to anterior scalene muscle)
- subclavian artery (passes with plexus between scalene muscles)
What is a potential complication of an interscalene block?
- anesthesia of the diaphragm and temporary respiratory depression due to proximity of the phrenic nerve
What are interscalene blocks used for?
- used for shoulder procedures bc they numb all of the spinal nerve components of shoulder
What are interscalene blocks used for?
- used for shoulder procedures bc they numb all of the spinal nerve components of shoulder
- then surgeon removes adhesions of shoulder
When do we call the subclavian artery the axillary artery?
- when it passes beneath clavicle and 1st rib
Where does the axillary artery run in regards to the brachial plexus?
- right in the middle
What does the neurovascular bundle travel within?
- axillary sheath
What spinal nerves contribute to dermatones outside of the brachial plexus?
- C4-T5
shoulder dermatone
- C4
C5
- upper lateral arm and shoulder
C6
- posteriolateral arm and lateral forearm
C7
middle of forearm and hand
C8
posterioromedial forearm and medial hand
T1
- medial arm
T2-T5
- axillary region
What is a dermatome?
- area of cutaneous sensory innervation supplied by a single spinal nerve
Cutaneous nerve innervattion overlaps multiple _____
- dermatomes
What is a myotome?
- a group of muscles that receive motor innervation from a single spinal nerve
What myotome does the action of shoulder elevation
- C4
What myotome does the action of shoulder abduction and elbow flection
C5
What myotome does the action of elbow flexion, wrist extension
C6
What myotome does the action of elbow extension and wrist flexion
C7