Nerve Course Flashcards
What is the nerve course of the sciatic nerve?
Leaves greater sciatic foramen (½ way between ischial tuberosity & greater trochanter)
Heads to midline of thigh, deep to biceps femoris, lying on lat. rotators of hip
Divides into 2 branches just above the popliteal space (also where hamstring muscles divide): tibial & common peroneal - passes laterally following lat border of popliteal fossa to neck of fibula
What is the nerve course of the tibial nerve?
Continues course of sciatic nerve through popliteal fossa
Enters leg under tendinous arch of soleus
Descends between f digitorum longus & f hallucis longus
Passes behind medial malleolus, deep to flexor retinaculum
Enters sole of foot & divides into med. & lat. plantar nerves
What is the nerve course of the deep peroneal nerve?
Passes into ant. compartment of the leg
Lies deep to ext digitorum longus, ext hallucis longus & superior extensor retinaculum
Lies on interosseous membrane
Enters dorsum of foot lying between tendons of ext digitorum longus, ext hallucis longus
Divides into medial & lateral branches
What is the nerve course of the superficial peroneal nerve?
Descends vertically between extensor digitorum longus & fibularis longus
Lies anterior to fibula
Becomes superficial ½ way down leg & divides into terminal branches: medial & intermediate dorsal cutaneous branch
What is the nerve course of the posterior interosseous nerve?
Commences at the front of the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, enters the posterior compartment between the two heads of supinator.
Curves around lat and post surfaces of the radius.
Descends between deep and superficial extensor muscles with post interosseous artery, lies on interosseous membrane and ends in a flattened expansion
What is the nerve course of the radial nerve ?
Enters posterior compartment of arm through the lower triangular space (formed by the humerus laterally, head of triceps medially & teres major superiorly)
Enters spiral groove of humerus, descends between lat and medial head of triceps
Reaches lat border of humerus @ distal ⅓ of arm
Pierces lateral intermuscular septum
Enters anterior compartment of arm between brachialis and brachioradialis
In front of lateral epicondyle of the humerus the nerve divides into terminal branches: superficial & deep (posterior interosseous)
What is the nerve course of the ulnar nerve ?
It descends on the medial side of axillary artery; continue down medially to brachial artery, anterior to triceps.
In distal half of the arm it passes backwards and pierces medial intramuscular septum to enter posterior
compartment of arm, lying in front of medial head of triceps.
The nerve then passes between the medial epicondyle of the humerus and the olecranon of the ulna, lying
in the ulnar groove.
The ulnar nerve then enters the anterior compartment of the forearm by passing between the 2 heads of
flexor carpi ulnaris.
It then descends down the medial side of the forearm on flexor digitorum profundus (FDP).
Proximal to the flexor retinaculum it pierces the deep fascia to lie lateral to FCU and passes anterior to the
flexor retinaculum, lateral to the pisiform.
It then divides into superficial and deep branches
Deep branch loops across the palm from medial to lateral deep to flexor tendon
What is the nerve course of the median nerve ?
Descending under cover of biceps lies lateral to brachial artery then lies medial.
In lower arm it lies on brachialis, crosses bicipital aponeurosis into the cubital fossa
Enters forearm by passing through the two heads of pronator teres, descends of flexor digitorum profundus
Closely attached to the deep surface of flexor digitorum superficialis
Superficial just above the wrist, passing through the tendons of flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor carpi radialis
Enters hand deep to flexor retinaculum within the carpal tunnel then divides into medial and lateral terminal branches
