The cervicoaxillary canal is the passageway that extends between the
neck
The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...
and the upper extremities through which the
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. Th ...
and other structures pass.
[Cervicoaxillary Canal -- Medical Definition]
Cervicoaxillary Canal -- Medical Definition
accessdate: September 20, 2015[Cervicoaxillary canal: Definition with Cervicoaxillary canal Pictures and Photos]
Cervicoaxillary canal: Definition with Cervicoaxillary canal Pictures and Photos
accessdate: September 20, 2015
Its structure is defined by being posteriorly bordered by the
scapula
The scapula (plural scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on eithe ...
, anteriorly by the
clavicle
The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the rig ...
, and medially by the first rib. The long thoracic nerve traverses this passageway in addition to axillary blood vessels and 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 th ...
. This complex nerve network arises in the neck from the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth cervical roots, C5, C6, C7 and C8, together with the first thoracic root, T1. It then enters the canal in the axilla.
[Fischer, J. (2012). Anatomy of the Axilla. Fischer's Mastery of Surgery, 2 Volume Set. Retrieved September 20, 2015 from http://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/1608317404/ch0046s1193]
References
{{Anatomy-stub
Skeletal system
Upper limb anatomy
Shoulder
Nerves