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Neurovasculature

Neurovasculature of the Upper Limb:

  • Arteries

  • Veins

  • Nerves

  • Dermatomes

  • Lymphatics

Arteries

 

Arteries of the Upper Limb:

  • Subclavian artery

  • Axillary artery

  • Brachial artery

  • Radial artery

  • Ulnar artery

  • Common interosseous artery 

  • Anterior & posterior interosseous arteries

  • Superficial palmar arch 

  • Deep palmar arch 

  • Common digital arteries 

 

 

  • Subclavian Artery becomes Axillary artery at lateral border of 1st rib

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Axillary artery becomes Brachial artery inferior to teres major

  • Brachial artery divides into radial and ulnar arteries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Ulnar artery divides into common interosseous artery

    • Common interosseous artery divides into anterior & posterior interosseous arteries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Superficial palmar arch- formed from superficial branches of radial and ulnar artery

  • Deep palmar arch- formed from deep branches of radial and ulnar artery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Common digital arteries supplying digits

Veins

 

 Veins of the Upper Limb:

  • Subclavian vein

  • Cephalic vein

  • Axillary vein

  • Basilic vein

  • Median cubital vein

  • Dorsal venous arch 

 

 

  • Subclavian vein becomes axillary vein and cephalic vein 

  • Axillary vein becomes basilic vein

  • Basilic and cephalic vein combine in cubital fossa to form medial cubital vein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Basilic & cephalic vein form dorsal venous arch in hand

Nerves

 

Nerve supply to the upper limb is via the brachial plexus (C5 to T1).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brachial plexus:

  • Roots- C5, C6, C7, C8, T1

  • Trunks- Upper, Middle, Lower

  • Division- anterior, posterior

  • Cords:

    • Lateral- formed from upper and middle anterior divisons

    • Posterior- formed from posterior divisions

    • Medial- formed from lower anterior division

  • Branches

    • Musculocutaneous

    • Axillary

    • Radial

    • Median

    • Ulnar

 

 

Axillary Nerve

 

The axillary nerve supplies:

  • Deltoid

  • Teres minor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Musculocutaneous Nerve

 

The musculocutaneous nerve supplies:

  • Anterior compartment of forearm muscles

 

 

Median Nerve

 

The median nerve supplies:

  • Anterior compartment of forearm muscles except:

    • Flexor carpi ulnaris

    • Digits 4 and 5 of flexor digitorum profundus

  • Thenar compartment of hand

  • Digits 1 and 2 of lumbricals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Radial Nerve

 

The radial nerve supplies:

  • Posterior compartment of arm muscles 

  • Brachioradialis

  • Posterior compartment of forearm muscles

 

 

Ulnar Nerve

 

The ulnar nerve supplies:

  • Flexor carpi ulnaris 

  • Flexor digitorum profundus digits 1, 2 &3

  • Hypothenar muscles

  • Adductor compartment of hand

  • Lumbricals 3 & 4

  • Interossei muscles

Dermatomes

 

Upper limb dermatomes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upper limb cutaneous nerve supply

 

Lymphatics

 

All the upper limb drains via the axillary nodes. 

 

Axillary nodes:

  1. Anterior

  2. Lateral

  3. Posterior

  4. Apical

  5. Central

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