Brachial plexus

Changed by Henry Knipe, 18 Nov 2013

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The brachial plexus is formed by lower cervical and upper thoracic ventral nerve roots and supplies motor and sensory innervation to the upper limb and pectoral girdle.

Summary

origin: ventral nerve roots of C5 to T1
course: emerges between anterior and middle scalenes, courses through the posterior triangle of neck posterior to the clavicle before becoming closely associated with the axillary artery in the axilla before giving up its terminal branches
major branches:
motor supply: upper limb and pectoral girdle
sensory supply: upper limb and part of the upper thorax

Variant anatomy

Approximately 50% of the population show significant variation in formation of the brachial plexus ¹:

pre-fixed brachial plexus - contribution from C4 ventral spinal root, with overall contribution from C4-C8
post-fixed brachial ~~plexus~~plexus - contribution from T2 ventral spinal root, with overall contribution from C6-T2

~~-<li>~~
~~-origin: ventral nerve roots of C5 to T1</li>~~
~~-<li>~~
-course: emerges between <a href="/articles/scalenus-anterior-muscle-1" title="Anterior scalene">anterior</a> and <a href="/articles/middle-scalene" title="middle scalene">middle scalenes</a>, courses through the posterior triangle of neck posterior to the <a href="/articles/clavicle" title="clavicle">clavicle</a> before becoming closely associated with the <a href="/articles/axillary-artery" title="Axillary artery">axillary artery</a> in the <a href="/articles/axilla" title="axilla">axilla</a> before giving up its terminal branches</li>
~~-<li>~~
+<li>
+origin: ventral nerve roots of C5 to T1</li>
+<li>
+course: emerges between <a href="/articles/scalenus-anterior-muscle-1">anterior</a> and <a href="/articles/middle-scalene">middle scalenes</a>, courses through the posterior triangle of neck posterior to the <a href="/articles/clavicle">clavicle</a> before becoming closely associated with the <a href="/articles/axillary-artery">axillary artery</a> in the <a href="/articles/axilla">axilla</a> before giving up its terminal branches</li>
+<li>
~~-<li><a href="/articles/median-nerve" title="Median nerve">median nerve</a></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/ulnar-nerve" title="Ulnar nerve">ulnar nerve</a></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/radial-nerve" title="Radial nerve">radial nerve</a></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/axillary-nerve" title="Axillary nerve">axillary nerve</a></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/musculocutaneousnerve" title="Musculocutaneous nerve">musculocutaneous nerve</a></li>~~
+<li><a href="/articles/median-nerve">median nerve</a></li>
+<li><a href="/articles/ulnar-nerve">ulnar nerve</a></li>
+<li><a href="/articles/radial-nerve">radial nerve</a></li>
+<li><a href="/articles/axillary-nerve">axillary nerve</a></li>
+<li><a href="/articles/musculocutaneousnerve">musculocutaneous nerve</a></li>
~~-</li>~~
~~-<li>~~
~~-motor supply: upper limb and pectoral girdle</li>~~
~~-<li>~~
+</li>
+<li>
+motor supply: upper limb and pectoral girdle</li>
+<li>
~~-<li>pre-fixed brachial plexus - contribution from C4 ventral spinal root, with overall contribution from C4-C8</li>~~
~~-<li>post-fixed brachial plexus - contribution from T2 ventral spinal root, with overall contribution from C6-T2</li>~~
+<li>
+pre-fixed brachial plexus - contribution from C4 ventral spinal root, with overall contribution from C4-C8</li>
+<li>
+post-fixed brachial plexus - contribution from T2 ventral spinal root, with overall contribution from C6-T2</li>

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Brachial plexus

Updates to Article Attributes

Summary

Variant anatomy

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