Brachial plexus

] or - Roots, Trunks, Divisions, Cords, Collateral/Pre-terminal Branches, and (Terminal) Branches.

* The five roots are the five anterior rami of the spinal nerves, after they have given off their segmental supply to the muscles of the neck.

* These roots merge to form three trunks:
** "superior" or "upper" (C5-C6)
** "middle" (C7)
** "inferior" or "lower" (C8-T1)

* Each trunk then splits in two, to form six divisions:
** anterior division of the upper, middle and lower trunks
** posterior division of the upper, middle, and lower trunks

* These six divisions will regroup to become the three cords. The cords are named by their position in respect to the axillary artery.
** The "posterior cord" is formed from the three posterior divisions of the trunks (C5-T1)
** The "lateral cord" is the anterior divisions from the upper and middle trunks (C5-C7)
** The "medial cord" is simply a continuation of the anterior division of the lower trunk (C8-T1)

* The branches are listed below. Most branch from the cords, but a few branch (indicated in italics) directly from earlier structures. The five in bold are considered "terminal branches".

Diagram

pecific branches

*One can remember the specific branches of lateral, posterior and medial cord using the mnemonic LML ULNAR M4U respectively.
**LML - lateral pectoral nerve , musculocutaneous nerve , lateral root of the median nerve.
**ULNAR - upper subscapular nerve , lower subscapular nerve , nerve to latissmus dorsi (thoracodorsal nerve) , axillary nerve , radial nerve.
**M4U - medial pectoral nerve , medial root of the median nerve , medial cutaneous nerve of the arm , medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm , ulnar nerve.

=Additional

ee also

* Brachial plexus lesion
* Anesthesia of the brachial plexus

References

External links

*
* [http://anatome.ncl.ac.uk/tutorials/brachial1/text/index.html Tutorial] at Newcastle University