Week 3: The Arm and Elbow Flashcards
What is the brachial plexus and where is it located?
- nerve network that innervates the upper limb
- located in the neck and the axilla
Explain how the brachial plexus is divided:
- Roots
- Trunks
- Divisions (anterior or posterior)
- Cords
- Branches
The brachial plexus is composed of ventral rami of spinal nerves from which spinal cord segments?
C5-T1
How do spinal nerves transmit sensory and motor information?
- spinal nerves contain motor information that goes out to muscles to stimulate contraction
- sensory information also comes in from the body, back through the spinal nerves into the CNS
What are the 5 terminal branches of the brachial plexus?
- Musculocutaneous
- Axillary
- Median
- Radial
- Ulnar
What happens to anterior and posterior rootlets?
they join together to form a spinal nerve and exit through the vertebral foramen
How is a spinal nerve divided after it leaves the cord?
- into an anterior (ventral) ramus and a posterior (dorsal) ramus
- anterior ramus is larger
Which spinal cord roots do each of the terminal divisions of the brachial plexus come from?
- Musculocutaneous - C5-7
- Axillary - C5-6
- Median - C5-T1
- Radial - C5-T1
- Ulnar - C8-T1
What does the musculocutenous nerve supply?
muscles of the anterior arm, skin of the arm
What does the axilllary nerve supply?
deltoid, teres minor and skin on upper lateral arm
What does the radial nerve supply?
- posterior arm and forearm muscles
- skin of the arm and hand
What does the median nerve supply?
-most anterior forearm muscles, small muscles of the thumb, skin of the hand
What does the ulnar nerve supply?
2 anterior forearm muscles, most small muscles of the hand, skin of the hand
What forms the superior trunk of the brachial plexus?
C5 and C6 joining together
What forms the inferior trunk of the brachial plexus?
C8 and T1 join together
What forms the middle trunk of the brachial plexus?
C7
How is the BP divided after its divided into superior, middle and inferior trunks
Into anterior and posterior divisions:
- posterior divisions of each trunk come together
- the anterior division of the superior and middle trunk come together
- the anterior division of the inferior trunk continues on its own
After the BP has divided into anterior and posterior divisions, what is the next segment?
The chords:
- Lateral cord - formed from the anterior division of the superior and middle trunk
- Posterior chord - formed from the posterior divisions of all the trunks
- Medial chord - formed by the anterior division of the inferior trunk
What are the chords named after?
their position in relation to the axillary nerve
Which bones does the distal humerus articulate with?
ulna and radius
Which 3 bones are involved in the elbow joint?
- humerus
- ulna
- radius
Which 3 joint articulations are present for the elbow joint?
- humero-ulnar = between trochlea and trochlear notch
- humero-radial = between capitulum and radial head
- proximal radio-ulnar joint = between the radial head and radial notch of the ulnar
What features are found on the anterior surface of the distal humerus?
- lateral and medial supracondylar ridge
- lateral and medial epicondyle
- coronoid fossa
- capitulum
- trochlea
What features are found on the posterior surface of the distal humerus?
- olecranon fossa
- trochlea
Which ligament reinforces the elbow joint laterally?
radial collateral ligament
Which ligament reinforces the elbow joint medially?
ulnar collateral ligament
What type of joint is the elbow and which movements does it allow?
Elbow is a hinge joint
We can only flex and extend
Which joint allows pronation and supination (turning it up and down) of the hand?
radioulnar joint
What action does the anterior muscle compartment of the arm have on the elbow?
Allows flexion (bending) of the elbow