Lecture 5: Vessels and nerves of the upper limb Flashcards
What vessel does the subclavian artery branch from on the right side?
brachiocephalic trunk
What vessel does the subclavian artery branch from on the left side?
arch of aorta
What boundary does the subclavian artery pass to become the axillary artery?
lateral boarder of the first rib
What artery does the subclavian artery become once it’s passed the lateral boarder of the first rib?
axillary artery
What boundary does the axillary artery pass to become the brachial artery?
inferior boarder of teres major
What artery does the axillary artery become once it’s passed the inferior boarder of teres major?
brachial artery
What two arteries does the brachial artery bifurcate into?
radial and ulnar
What is the function of the numerous anastomoses between the radial and ulnar arteries?
to provide a back-up route for perfusion, to ensure perfusion to the hand is maintained in the event that one of these arteries is injured
What region of the body do the ulnar and radial arteries supply?
forearm and arm
What arteries branches off the axillary artery and wraps around the surgical neck of the humerus?
anterior and posterior circumflex humeral arteries
Describe the course of the anterior and posterior circumflex humeral arteries:
branches off the axillary artery and wraps around the surgical neck of the humerus with the axillary nerve
True or false: the brachial artery runs through the cubital fossa
true
Does the brachial artery run more medially or laterally down the arm?
medially
What artery branches from the brachial artery and wraps around the posterior region of the humerus?
profunda brachii
Which artery does the profunda brachii branch off?
brachial artery
What compartment of the arm does the profunda brachii artery supply?
posterior compartment
What site does the profunda brachii wrap around on the humerus?
the radial groove (with the radial nerve!)
At what anatomical point does the brachial artery bifurcate into ulnar and radial arteries?
just below the cubital fossa
What is the name of the extra arteries that run between the brachial, ulnar, profunda brachii and radial arteries, providing a back up route for circulation?
collateral arteries
Does the common interosseous artery branch from the ulnar or radial artery?
ulnar
Describe the course of the interosseous artery:
it branches off the ulnar artery shortly after the brachial artery bifurcates and travels deep towards the interosseous membrane
What two vessels arise from the common interosseous artery?
anterior and posterior interosseous artery
Describe the course of the posterior interosseous artery:
it runs through a hole in the interosseous membrane and courses along the posterior surface, supplying the posterior compartment
What side of the interosseous membrane does the anterior interosseous artery course?
anterior surface
Where are the radial and ulnar arteries closest to our skin?
the wrist
What are the anastomoses between the ulnar and radial arteries at the wrist called?
superficial and deep palmar arches
Which artery mainly supplies the deep palmar arch?
radial artery
Which artery mainly supplies the superficial palmar arch?
ulnar artery
What arteries branch off the palmar arches?
metacarpal arteries
What arteries branch off the metacarpal arteries?
two digital arteries
Describe the course of the digital arteries?
two run down each finger (not thumb) one on the lateral aspect and one on the medial aspect
A fracture to the clavicle can damage which artery?
subclavian artery
A fracture to the surgical neck of the humerus can damage which arteries?
anterior and superior circumflex humeral arteries
A mid humeral shaft fracture can damage which artery?
profunda brachii
A supracondylar fracture can damage which artery?
brachial artery
True or false: forearm vessels are less likely to be damaged during a fracture as they are found further from bones
True
What are the two types of veins found in the upper limb?
deep and superficial
True or false: corresponding deep veins and arteries have the same name
True
Are deep or superficial veins used in venepuncture?
superficial
Which type of veins drain directly into the heart (deep or superficial)?
Deep
What vessels do superficial veins drain into before being drained into the heart?
deep veins
What superficial vein comes from the anatomical snuff box, up the lateral edge of the forearm and drains into the axillary vein?
Cephalic vein
What vein does the cephalic vein drain into?
axillary vein
Describe the course of the cephalic vein:
comes from the anatomical snuff box, up the lateral edge of the forearm, then more medially before draining into the axillary vein
How many brachial veins are found in the average person?
two
What is the name of the vein that runs deep around the humerus and merges with the brachial veins to form the axillary vein?
basilic vein
Describe the course of the basilic vein:
found on the medial side of the arm and runs deep around the humerus before merging with the brachial veins to form the axillary vein
What is the name of the venous communication between the basilic and cephalic vein?
medial cubital vein
True or false: the medial cubital vein is usually where blood samples are taken from
True
What vessel branches down from the medial cubital vein?
median antebrachial vein
Which cervical cord segments does the brachial plexus arise from
C5-8 and T1
What are the five major terminal branches of the brachial plexus?
1) musculocutaneous
2) axillary
3) radial
4) median
5) ulnar
Are the terminal branches of the brachial plexus somatic or autonomic?
somatic
True or false: the terminal branches of the brachial plexus contains both sensory and motor fibres
True
Where does the axillary nerve originate in the cervical spine?
C5 and C6
Where does the radial nerve originate in the cervical spine?
C5-T1
Where does the musculocutaneous nerve originate in the cervical spine?
C5-C7
Where does the median nerve originate in the cervical spine?
C6-T1 (some argue C5 too)
Where does the ulnar nerve originate in the cervical spine?
C8-T1
What two muscles does the axillary nerve innervate?
1) deltoid
2) teres minor
What skin does the axillary nerve innervate?
skin over the upper lateral arm
Where does the axillary nerve wrap around?
surgical neck of humerus (posterior side)
What muscle does the radial nerve innervate?
triceps brachii
Where does the radial nerve wrap around?
radial groove of the humerus
Describe the course of the radial nerve:
1) runs past radial groove of humerus
2) at the level of the elbow, it runs anteriorly to the lateral epicondyle
3) at this point superficial and deep branches from
What does the superficial branch of the radial innervate?
some posterior muscles and sensory innervation to skin over the lateral posterior aspect of the arm and hand
What nerve does the posterior interosseous nerve branch from?
deep radial nerve
How does the posterior interosseous nerve enter the posterior compartment of the arm?
it enters via a hole in the interosseous membrane
What two digits does the superficial radial nerve run all the way to?
thumb and index finger
What group of muscles does the musculocutaneous nerve innervate?
muscles of the anterior compartment of the arm
What muscle does the musculocutaneous nerve travel under?
coracobrachialis
What muscles does the median nerve innervate?
most anterior forearm muscles excluding the flexor carpi ulnaris and the ulnar half of the flexor digitorum
What nerve does the anterior interosseous nerve branch from?
median nerve
What three muscles does the anterior interosseous nerve innervate?
1) pronator quadratus
2) flexor digitorum profundus (half of it)
3) flexor pollicis longus
True or false: the median nerve travels through the carpel tunnel
True
What nerve branches of the median nerve at the hand?
recurrent branch of the median nerve
What muscle does the recurrent branch of the median nerve innervate?
thenar eminence
What is the thenar eminence?
muscular pad on palmar surface of 1st metacarpal
What regions of the hand does the median nerve innervate?
the palmar aspect of the thumb, index finger, middle finger and lateral half of the ring fingers as well as the finger tips on the dorsal side
Describe the course of the ulnar nerve?
it travels straight down the arm, past the medial epicondyle and running down the lateral part of the anterior forearm
What two muscles of the forearm does the ulnar nerve?
1) flexor carpi ulnaris
2) ulnar half of the flexor digitorum profundus
Does the ulnar nerve travel through, over or under the carpel tunnel?
Over
Which nerve innervates most muscles in the hand?
ulnar nerve
What regions of the hand are innervated by the ulnar nerve?
the medial palm and the medial one and a half digits and on the dorsum, the medial two digits excluding the lateral half of the fourth digit
What does a peripheral nerve map show?
regions of the skin supplied by major peripheral nerves
What does a dermatome map show?
regions of skin supplied by a single spinal nerve
What regions of the hand does the radial nerve innervate?
the anatomical snuff box and almost all of the lateral digits on the dorsal side
What do myotome maps show?
the muscle mass innervated by a single spinal nerve
What movement can be used to check the C5 spinal nerve?
shoulder abduction
What movement can be used to check the C6 spinal nerve?
elbow flexion
What movement can be used to check the C7 spinal nerve?
elbow extension
What movements can be used to check the C8 spinal nerve?
finger flexion and thumb extension
What movements can be used to check the T1 spinal nerve?
finger abduction and adduction