The medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm (medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve) branches from the

medial cord The medial cord is the part of the brachial plexus formed by of the anterior division of the lower trunk (C8-T1). Its name comes from it being medial to the axillary artery as it passes through the axilla. The other cords of the brachial plexus a ...

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 th ...

. It contains axons from the ventral rami of the eighth cervical (C8) and first thoracic (T1) nerves. It gives off a branch near the

axilla The axilla (also, armpit, underarm or oxter) is the area on the human body directly under the shoulder joint. It includes the axillary space, an anatomical space within the shoulder girdle between the arm and the thoracic cage, bounded superior ...

, which pierces the fascia and supplies the skin covering the

biceps brachii The biceps or biceps brachii ( la, musculus biceps brachii, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join t ...

, nearly as far as the

elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the media ...

. The nerve then runs down the ulnar side of the arm medial to the

brachial artery The brachial artery is the major blood vessel of the (upper) arm. It is the continuation of the axillary artery beyond the lower margin of teres major muscle. It continues down the ventral surface of the arm until it reaches the cubital fossa ...

, pierces the deep fascia with the

basilic vein The basilic vein is a large superficial vein of the upper limb that helps drain parts of the hand and forearm. It originates on the medial (ulnar) side of the dorsal venous network of the hand and travels up the base of the forearm, where its c ...

, about the middle of the arm, and divides into a volar and an ulnar branch.

Volar branch

The ''volar branch'' (ramus volaris; anterior branch), the larger, passes usually in front of, but occasionally behind, the vena mediana cubiti (

median basilic vein In human anatomy, the median cubital vein (or median basilic vein) is a superficial vein of the upper limb. It lies in the cubital fossa superficial to the bicipital aponeurosis. It connects the cephalic vein and the basilic vein. It becomes prom ...

). It then descends on the front of the ulnar side of the forearm, distributing filaments to the skin as far as the wrist, and communicating with the palmar cutaneous branch of the ulnar nerve. Medial antebrachial nerve

Ulnar branch

The ''ulnar branch'' (ramus ulnaris; posterior branch) passes obliquely downward on the medial side of the

, in front of the medial epicondyle of the

humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...

, to the back of the

forearm The forearm is the region of the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist. The term forearm is used in anatomy to distinguish it from the arm, a word which is most often used to describe the entire appendage of the upper limb, but which in anat ...

, and descends on its ulnar side as far as the

wrist In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the Carpal bones, carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known ...

, distributing filaments to the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...

. It communicates with the

medial brachial cutaneous 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 ...

, the

dorsal antebrachial cutaneous branch 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 ...

of the radial, and the dorsal branch of the ulnar.

Additional images

File:Brachial plexus color.svg, Brachial plexus with courses of spinal nerves shown File:Gray811and813.PNG, Cutaneous nerves of right upper extremity. File:Slide5zzz.JPG, Medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve File:Slide15DDD.JPG, antebrachial cutaneous nerve

References

External links

* , * * * - "Cutaneous nerves of the upper extremity." * {{Authority control Nerves of the upper limb

Volar branch

Ulnar branch

See also

Additional images

References

External links