SPR L3 Anatomy of the Forearm Flashcards
Learning Outcomes (for general perusal)
- Describe and demonstrate the movements that take place at the wrist joint
- Name and identify the deep muscles within the anterior compartment of the forearm
- Describe the arterial supply of the forearm
- Describe the origin, course, relations and distribution of the median, ulnar and radial nerves
Forearm
- How is the forearm defined anatomically?
- What is it divided into?
- the region between the elbow joint and the wrist joint
- is divided into two compartments – anterior and posterior.
What types of actions can take place at the wrist joint?
Flexion
Extension
Abduction/ Radial Deviation
Adduction/ Ulnar Deviation
What are the superficial muscles within the anterior compartment of the forearm?
Pronator teres m.
Flexor carpi radialis m.
Palmaris longus m.
Flexor carpi ulnaris m.
Flexor digitorum superficialis m.
Identify the muscles in this picture
- Pronator teres m.
- Flexor carpi radialis m.
- Palmaris longus m.
- Flexor carpi ulnaris m.
- Flexor digitorum superficialis m.
What are the deep muscles within the anterior compartment of the forearm?
Flexor digitorum profundus muscle
Flexor pollicis longus muscle
Pronator quadratus muscle
Deep Mucles of the Anterior Compartment of the Forearm
What are the labelled muscles in this picture?
- Flexor digitorum profundus muscle
- Flexor pollicis longus muscle
- Pronator quadratus muscle
Anterior Compartment: Deep
Identify the muscle in the picture
pronator quadratus muscle
What are the groups contained in the post compartment of the forearm?
The posterior compartment of the forearm contains a superficial group of muscles and a deep group of muscles (see next slide).
What muscles are represented in this image?
The location of the deep group of muscles within the posterior compartment of the forearm is shown
Identify the following on this image
- Axillary Artery
- Brachial Artery
- Radial Artery
- Ulnar Artery
- Superficial Palmar Arch
- Deep Palmar Arch
Arterial Supply - Forearm
- What are the two terminal branches of the brachial artery?
- How does the common intraosseous artery arise, and what does it divide into?
- Name the vessels indicated by arrows in the image
- The Radial and Ulnar Arteries
- arises as a branch of the ulnar artery and divides into the anterior and posterior interosseous arteries.
- See image
Median Nerve
- What forms the median nerve?
- Discuss the course of the median nerve
- formed by a branch from the lateral cord and a branch from the medial cord of the brachial plexus.
- descends superficially within the anterior compartment of the arm. The nerve is closely related to the brachial artery within the arm, enters the cubital fossa and is the most medially located structure within this region, nerve continues into the anterior compartment of the forearm
Median Nerve
- Which structure is located immediately lateral to the median nerve within the cubital fossa?
- What does the median nerve innervate in the anterior compartment of the forearm?
- What else does the median nerve innervate?
- brachial artery
- innervates all of the superficial muscles with the exception of the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle.
- Lateral half of flexor digitorum profundus muscle *Note: this muscle has dual innervation.
Flexor pollicis longus muscle
Pronator quadratus muscle
Ulnar Nerve
- What does the ulnar nerve arise as?
- Describe the course of the ulnar nerve
- What places the unar nerve at risk of damage?
- as a branch of the medial cord of the brachial plexus.
- nerve descends medially within the anterior compartment of the arm and passes posterior to the medial epicondyle of the humerous
- fracture to the medial epicondyle of the humerus
Ulnar Nerve
The ulnar nerve continues its medial path into the forearm
- What does is supply?
- Flexor carpi ulnaris muscle
Medial half of flexor digitorum profundus muscle
What supplies the
- Medial half of the flexor digitorum profundus muscle?
- Lateral half of the flexor digitorum profundus muscle?
- Ulnar Nerve
- Median Nerve
Radial Nerve
- How does the radial nerve arise?
- Where does it travel?
- What places this nerve at risk?
- What does the nerve divide into, and where?
- Where does the deep branch travel to?
- What does the radial nerve innervate?
- as a branch of the posterior cord of the brachial plexus.
- The nerve travels deep into the posterior compartment of the arm and runs in the radial groove (posterior aspect of the humerus).
- Fracture to the mid-shaft of the humerus places this nerve at risk of damage.
- divide into superficial and deep branches deep to brachioradialis muscle.
- travels into the posterior compartment of the forearm.
- nerve innervates all of the muscles within the posterior compartments of the upper limb
What does the radial nerve innervate?
all of the muscles within the posterior compartments of the upper limb
Summary of points covered (for general perusal)
- The movements that take place at the wrist joint
- The deep muscles within the anterior compartment of the forearm
- The arterial supply of the forearm
- The course, relations and distribution of the median, ulnar and radial nerves
Which superficial muscle in the anterior compartment of the forearm does the median nerve NOT innervate?
flexor carpi ulnaris muscle
What places the ulnar nerve at risk?
fracture to the medial epicondyle of the humerus places the ulnar nerve at risk of damage (ulnar nerve passes posterior to the medial epicondyle of the humerous)
What does the median nerve innervate in the anterior compartment of the forearm?
- All the superficial muscles, except flexor carpi ulnaris m.
- Lateral half of flexor digitorum profundus muscle *Note: this muscle has dual innervation.
- Flexor pollicis longus muscle
- Pronator quadratus muscle
What does the ulnar nerve supply in the forearm?
- Flexor carpi ulnaris muscle
- Medial half of flexor digitorum profundus muscle
What does the radial nerve run within?
What places it at risk?
The nerve travels deep into the posterior compartment of the arm and runs in the radial groove (posterior aspect of the humerus)
Fracture to the mid-shaft of the humerus places this nerve at risk of damage
Where does the radial nerve divide?
It divides into a superficial and a deep branch just deep to brachioradialis muscle
What innervates ALL the muscles in the posterior compartment of the arm?
Radial Nerve
