A cutaneous nerve is a nerve that provides nerve supply to the skin.

Human anatomy

In human anatomy, cutaneous nerves are primarily responsible for providing sensory innervation to the skin. In addition to sympathetic and autonomic afferent (sensory) fibers, most cutaneous nerves also contain sympathetic efferent (visceromotor) fibers, which innervate cutaneous blood vessels, sweat glands, and the arrector pilli muscles of hair follicles. These structures are important to the sympathetic nervous response. There are many cutaneous nerves in the human body, only some of which are named. Some of the larger cutaneous nerves are as follows:

Upper body

* In the arm (proper) **

Superior lateral cutaneous nerve of arm The superior lateral cutaneous nerve of arm (or superior lateral brachial cutaneous nerve) is the continuation of the posterior branch of the axillary nerve, after it pierces the deep fascia. It contains axons from C5-C6 ventral rami. Structure I ...

(Superior LCNOA) **

Inferior lateral cutaneous nerve of arm The inferior lateral cutaneous nerve of arm is a nerve found in humans and other animals. It is also called the inferior lateral brachial cutaneous nerve. It is a branch of the radial nerve that provides sensory and vasomotor innervation to the lo ...

(Inferior LCNOA) **

Posterior cutaneous nerve of arm The posterior cutaneous nerve of arm (internal cutaneous branch of musculospiral, posterior brachial cutaneous nerve) is a branch of the radial nerve that provides sensory innervation for much of the skin on the back of the arm. It arises in the a ...

(PCNOA) **

Medial cutaneous nerve of arm The medial brachial cutaneous nerve (lesser internal cutaneous nerve; medial cutaneous nerve of arm) is distributed to the skin on the medial brachial side of the arm. Anatomy It is the smallest branch of the brachial plexus, and arising from the ...

(MCNOA) * In the forearm **

Lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (or lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm) (branch of musculocutaneous nerve, also sometimes spelled "antebrachial") passes behind the cephalic vein, and divides, opposite the elbow-joint, into a volar and ...

(LCNOF) **

Posterior cutaneous nerve of forearm The posterior cutaneous nerve of forearm is a nerve found in humans and other animals. It is also known as the dorsal antebrachial cutaneous nerve, the external cutaneous branch of the musculospiral nerve, and the posterior antebrachial cutaneous n ...

(PCNOF) **

Medial cutaneous nerve of forearm The medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm (medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve) branches from the medial cord of the brachial plexus. It contains axons from the ventral rami of the eighth cervical (C8) and first thoracic (T1) nerves. It gives o ...

(MCNOF)

Lower body

* In the thigh **

Lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh The lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh (also called the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve) is a cutaneous nerve of the thigh. It originates from the dorsal divisions of the second and third lumbar nerves from the lumbar plexus. It passes under ...

(LCNOT) ** Posterior cutaneous nerve of thigh (PCNOT)

Other

*In the torso **

Ventral cutaneous branches The torso or trunk is an anatomical term for the central part, or the core, of the body of many animals (including humans), from which the head, neck, limbs, tail and other appendages extend. The tetrapod torso — including that of a human � ...

** Lateral cutaneous branches ** Dorsal cutaneous branches *In the neck & head: ** Supraorbital nerve ** Infraorbital nerve **

Mental nerve The mental nerve is a sensory nerve of the face. It is a branch of the posterior trunk of the inferior alveolar nerve, itself a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3), itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It provides sensation to the f ...

Buccal nerve The buccal nerve (long buccal nerve) is a nerve in the face. It is a branch of the mandibular nerve (which is itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve) and transmits sensory information from skin over the buccal membrane (in general, the cheek) an ...

Auriculotemporal nerve The auriculotemporal nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3) that runs with the superficial temporal artery and vein, and provides sensory innervation to various regions on the side of the head. Structure Origin The auriculotempor ...

Supraclavicular nerves The supraclavicular nerves (descending branches) arise from the third and fourth cervical nerves. They emerge beneath the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoideus (sternocleidomastoid muscle), and descend in the posterior triangle of the neck ...

(C3, C4) **

Great auricular nerve The great auricular nerve is a cutaneous nerve of the head. It originates from the cervical plexus, with branches of spinal nerves C2 and C3. It provides sensory nerve supply to the skin over the parotid gland and the mastoid process of the tempor ...

(C2, C3) **

Greater occipital nerve The greater occipital nerve is a nerve of the head. It is a spinal nerve, specifically the medial branch of the dorsal primary ramus of cervical spinal nerve 2. It arises from between the first and second cervical vertebrae, ascends, and then p ...

(C2)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutaneous Nerve Peripheral nervous system