EXTREMITIES TABLE of NERVES

Nerve Origin Branches / Path / Relationships Motor Innervation Cutaneous Injury

Terminus Innervation
Dorsal Scapular Brachial Plexus: C5
Nerve Root
Long Thoracic Nerve Brachial Plexus: C5-7 Runs along Serratus Anterior. You Rhomboideus Major and WINGED SCAPULA: No
Roots gotta watch it during a mastectomy Minor, and Serratus innervation to the muscles
Anterior muscles holding down the scapula
Lateral Pectoral Brachial Plexus: Pectoralis Major and Mammary Glands
Nerve Lateral Cord Minor muscles
Medial Antebrachial Brachial Plexus: Anteromedial forearm
Cutaneous Medial Cord
Thoracodorsal Nerve Brachial Plexus: Latissimus Dorsi muscle
Posterior Cord
Radial Nerve Brachial Plexus: Posterior Brachial Radial groove of mid-humerus; POSTERIOR ARM, Posterior arm and WRIST-DROP: No extensors
Posterior Cord (C5- and Antebrachial deep to Triangular Interval; in the POSTERIOR forearm; dorsal aspect
C8, T1) Cutaneous Nerves; Anatomical Snuffbox; Gives off FOREARM of hand, except (1) the
Deep Branch; posterior brachial and antebrachial last two digits and (2)
Superficial Branch cutaneous nerves the fingertips. Central
dorsal forearm.
Axillary Nerve Brachial Plexus: Surgical neck of humerus; it goes Shoulder DUCHENNE-ERB
Posterior Cord (C5, through the Quadrangular Space PARALYSIS: Drooping
C6) shoulder with hand in
"Waiter's Tip" position
Subclavius Nerve Brachial Plexus: Given off at ERB'S POINT (C5-C6 Subclavius Muscle Damaged by Upper Brachial
Superior Trunk union) in the Upper Brachial Trunk Plexus Injury, resulting in
Duchenne-Urb Paralysis
Suprascapular Nerve Brachial Plexus: Given off at ERB'S POINT (C5-C6 Supraspinatus, Damaged by Upper Brachial
Superior Trunk union) in the Upper Brachial Trunk Infraspinatus muscles Plexus Injury, resulting in
Duchenne-Urb Paralysis
Musculocutaneous Brachial Plexus: Lateral It pierces the Coracobrachialis ANTERIOR ARM Anterolateral forearm
Nerve Lateral Cord (C5-C7) Antebrachial Muscle
Cutaneous Nerve
Median Nerve Brachial Plexus: Palmar Branch; Between the Flex.Dig.Superficialis ANTERIOR Lateral 2/3 of palm (1st Can contribute to Klumpke's
Lateral / Medial Common and and Profundus muscles; goes FOREARM, EXCEPT thru 3rd digits); dorsal Paralysis; no opposition of
Cords (C6-T1, C5) Proper Digitals (1st through carpal tunnel Flexor Carpi Ulnaris and fingertips of 1st thru 3rd thumb; no sensation on palm
thru 3rd); Anterior lateral half of Flexor digits; parts of anterior of hand; Supracondylar
Interosseus Nerve digitorum profundus; forearm Syndrome
Thenar Muscles
Ulnar Nerve Brachial Plexus: Deep and It passes through Guyon's Tunnel, The Flexor Carpi Medial 1/3 of hand, KLUMPKE'S PARALYSIS /
Medial Cord (C8-T1, Superficial superficial to Carpal Tunnel; Ulnaris and medial half both dorsal and palmar CLAW-HAND: No intrinsic
 C7) Branches "Funny Bone" between medial of the Flexor Digitorum hand muscles = overflexion
epicondyle and olecranon; Divides Profundus distally and overextension
into deep and superficial branches proximally; loss of cutaneous
sensation
Superficial Peroneal Common Peroneal Crosses the front of the ankle very LATERAL LEG Dorsum of the foot VARUS: Foot bends inward
Nerve Nerve subcutaneously. Traverses very except first web-space; due to lost eversion of foot; It
superficial to the extensor lateral lower leg is so superficial that it can be
retinaculum. irritated by tight shoes
Deep Peroneal Nerve Common Peroneal Lateral and Medial Gives lateral and medial branches ANTERIOR LEG Dorsal web-space FOOT DROP: Cannot raise
Nerve branches to dorsum to dorsum of foot between 1st and 2nd foot during a normal gait due
of foot toes to lost dorsiflexion
Lateral Sural Common Peroneal Lateral upper leg
Cutaneous Nerve Nerve
Spinal Accessory Cranial Nerve XI Trapezius Muscle
Nerve
Saphenous Nerve Femoral Nerve Runs with Saphenous vein ONLY Medial aspect of the leg It would be the only residual
IN LEG, runs just in front of and foot innervation of the foot,
medial malleolus should you lost the Sciatic
Nerve
Lateral Femoral Lumbar Plexus (L2- Travels under Inguinal Ligament at Lateral thigh
Cutaneous 4) its lateral limit, creating potential
for entrapment
Obturator Nerve Lumbar Plexus (L2- Through obturator foramen, above, MEDIAL THIGH Medial thigh, right GLUTEAL GAIT: No
4) below, or through Piriformis above the knee ADDUCTION of the thigh
Femoral Nerve Lumbar Plexus (L2- Saphenous Nerve; Travels between Inguinal Ligament ANTERIOR THIGH Anteromedial thigh,
4) Anterior cutaneous and Psoas Muscle, creating Medial aspect of the leg
branches potential for entrapment and foot
Common and Proper Median Nerve Lateral 3 fingers of
Digital Nerves palmar hand; lateral 3
dorsal fingertips
Anterior Interosseus Median Nerve Parts of the Anterior
Nerve Forearm
Lateral Antebrachial Musculocutaneous Posterior and Anterolateral forearm Has anterior and posterior
Cutaneous Nerve Anterior branches branches
Deep (Motor) Branch Radial Nerve Posterior It becomes the Posterior POSTERIOR SUPINATOR CHANNEL
of the Radial Interosseus Nerve Interosseus Nerve FOREARM SYNDROME: At lateral
epicondyle, wrist-drop
Posterior Interosseus Radial Nerve It pierces the Supinator muscle to POSTERIOR
Nerve innervate the forearm; travels FOREARM
between the superficial and deep
muscles in posterior forearm
Superficial Radial Nerve (T1) Dorsal Digital Travels deep to the Brachioradialis Dorsal Hand: 1st three Gives off Dorsal Digital
(Cutaneous) Branch Nerves digits, EXCEPT Nerves to the lateral three
of the Radial fingertips digits
Posterior Femoral Sacral Plexus (L4- Posterior thigh
Cutaneous 5,S1-S3)
Superior Gluteal Sacral Plexus (L4- It travels superior to the Piriformis, Gluteus Minimus, GLUTEAL GAIT: No
Nerve 5,S1-S3) then between the Gluteus Minimus Gluteus Medius muscles ABDUCTION of the thigh
and Medius
Piriformis Nerve Sacral Plexus (L4- Piriformis Muscle
5,S1-S3)
Sciatic Nerve Sacral Plexus (L4- Common Peroneal Assoc. with Piriformis Muscle in POSTERIOR THIGH, Lateral leg and dorsum
5,S1-S3) Nerve; Tibial Nerve hip; Joins femoral nerve at Posterior Leg and of foot, via Common
Popliteal Fossa Plantar Foot via Tibial Peroneal
Inferior Gluteal Sacral Plexus (L4- Gluteus Maximus
Nerve 5,S1-S3)
Common Peroneal Sciatic Nerve Deep Peroneal Travels superficially around the Anterior Leg, via Deep Lateral leg and dorsum FOOT DROP (no deep
Nerve Nerve; Superficial lateral aspect of the knee (head of Peroneal of foot peroneal) and VARUS (no
Peroneal Nerve; the fibula), where it divides. superficial peroneal)
Lateral Sural
Cutaneous Nerve
Tibial Nerve Sciatic Nerve Medial Sural Passes under the Flexor POSTERIOR LEG; Plantar Aspect of the CALCANEOUS
Cutaneous Nerve; Retinaculum: TARSAL-TUNNEL Planter aspect of the foot foot DEFORMITY: Can't stand on
Sural Nerve; Medial SYNDROME tiptoes (no plantarflexion).
and Lateral Plantar Also no sensation to sole of
Nerves foot.
Medial and Lateral Tibial Nerve Sole of the foot Sole of the foot
Planter Nerves
Medial Sural Tibial Nerve Posterior Leg below
Cutaneous knee
Sural Nerve Tibial Nerve Lateral Dorsal Pure sensory nerve -- it is a spare Lateral aspect of foot;
Cutaneous Nerve of part and does NOT supply the posterior leg
foot Gastrocs like the Sural A.
Medial and Lateral Tibial Nerve SOLE OF FOOT
Plantar Nerves
Deep (Motor) Branch Ulnar Nerve (T1) Dorsal and Palmar
of the Ulnar Interossei muscles
Superficial Ulnar Nerve (T1) Common and Passes through Guyon's Canal, Palmar Innervation
(Cutaneous) Proper Palmar superficial to flexor of 4th and 5th digits
Branch of the Digital (4th and retinaculum; Gives off
Ulnar 5th) common and proper digitals