The cervical spinal nerve 5 (C5) is a
spinal nerve of the
cervical segment
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the spi ...
.
American Medical Association
Nervous System -- Groups of Nerves
It originates from the spinal column from above the cervical vertebra 5
In tetrapods, cervical vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are the vertebrae of the neck, immediately below the skull. Truncal vertebrae (divided into thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in mammals) lie caudal (toward the tail) of cervical vertebrae. In sau ...
(C5). It contributes to the phrenic nerve, long thoracic nerve
The long thoracic nerve (external respiratory nerve of Bell; posterior thoracic nerve) innervates the serratus anterior muscle.
Structure
The long thoracic nerve arises from the anterior rami of the C5, C6, and C7 cervical spinal nerve. T ...
, and dorsal scapular nerve
The dorsal scapular nerve is a branch of the brachial plexus. It supplies rhomboid major muscle, rhomboid minor muscle, and levator scapulae muscle. It causes the scapula to be moved medially towards the vertebral column. Dorsal scapular ne ...
before joining cervical spinal nerve 6
The cervical spinal nerve 6 (C6) is a spinal nerve of the cervical segment.
It originates from the spinal column from above the cervical vertebra 6 (C6).
The C6 nerve root shares a common branch from C5, and has a role in innervating many muscl ...
to form the upper trunk
The upper (superior) trunk is part of the brachial plexus. It is formed by joining of the ventral rami of the fifth (C5) and sixth (C6) cervical nerves. The upper trunk divides into an anterior and posterior division.
The branches of the upper tru ...
, a trunk of the brachial plexus
The brachial plexus is a network () of nerves formed by the anterior rami of the lower four cervical nerves and first thoracic nerve ( C5, C6, C7, C8, and T1). This plexus extends from the spinal cord, through the cervicoaxillary canal in t ...
, which then forms the lateral cord
The lateral cord is the part of the brachial plexus formed by the anterior divisions of the upper (C5-C6) and middle trunks (C7). Its name comes from it being lateral to the axillary artery as it passes through the axilla. The other cords of the br ...
, and finally the musculocutaneous nerve
The musculocutaneous nerve arises from the lateral cord of the brachial plexus, opposite the lower border of the pectoralis major, its fibers being derived from C5, C6 and C7.
Structure
The musculocutaneous nerve arises from the lateral cor ...
.
Additional Images
File:Slide2y.JPG, Cervical spinal nerve 5
References
Spinal nerves
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